A Thousand Suns: Rebellion
by BunBun Fett
Summary: Saa shares a Shistavanen story - a story of defiance and Darkness. And so, the seeds of the Rebellion are sown... / PART 2 OF A 2-PART SERIES
1. Blackout 1

**Author's Note: _Here it is, folks! **A Thousand Suns: Rebellion** - "Part 2" of what was started with **A Thousand Suns: Redemption**. **If you are a NEW READER, I would strongly suggest reading ATS: Redemption FIRST. Otherwise, ATS:Rebellion won't make a lot of sense.** This chapter picks up right where **ATS: Redemption** let off, so there's no flashback to make sense of things, if you haven't read "Part 1". For those of you who have been reading the ATS saga, **I would recommend re-reading this chapter**. Most everything is the same as it had been originally, before I decided to split ATS up into two parts. But, I've taken out a section of this chapter and I also ended it at a different part than I did in the original "copy." I'm re-writing a completely different plot for **ATS: Rebellion **so while a few things stay the same in this revision, there are significant changes that you might want to note, in order for everything to make sense.  
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><p><em>"Floating down  As colors fill the light / We look up from the ground / In fields of paper-white."_

**Linkin Park  
>"Blackout"<strong>

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><p>"You've changed, Cody."<p>

Tay's gentle voice broke through the meditative silence that had filled the conservatory for almost a whole half-hour.

It had been a few days since Cody and Saa had come back home and things were slowly starting to slip back into a comfortable routine. Things were different from when they'd left - spring had come to Mydwyth and there was work to be done in the fields, in the hot-houses, around the house. Tay put Saa up in the house, to let his leg heal, but she put Cody to work almost immediately in the fields.

He pitched in without complaint, but the first days had been difficult. Hella left almost immediately, taking the _Ijaa_ back to the capitol, to catch up on the contracts she had lost during their time on Bellassa. This left Cody, Saa, and Tay back at the house together and at first, things were a little tense.

Cody was still on high alert, his mind and his muscles still tensed for a threat that didn't come. Both him and Saa were edgy, jumpy - they started at the slightest noises and neither one of them felt comfortable without a blaster on their hip or on their thigh. Tay, who was very light of foot, startled them on more than one occasion; they had to learn to be patient with her, she had to learn to be a lot less subtle.

Communication was awkward at first, as well. Cody had kissed Tay quite thoroughly in the garden, but they seemed almost wary of each other after that. Surprised by his boldness, they both back away from each other; each one reassessing the other, each one trying to identify the subtle changes. They talked of small things, mundane things - about planting, about seasons, about Hella being gone, about little things. Neither Saa nor Cody talked about their contract, though Cody quietly admitted that it had taken them to Bellassa. Tay seemed surprised by this revelation, but she didn't press for details and Cody was grateful for it.

He'd tell her about Obi-Wan, one day. But, not just yet. Not so soon; he was still processing everything that had happened, everything that had changed. And, a large part of him missed what he'd had to let go of - even though the past had haunted him, it had also been everything he'd ever known. Stepping out into new territory, into a new identity, was still difficult. His emotions were still slightly raw, still slightly conflicted.

She had coaxed him into meditating with her again at night - or, more accurately, into sitting in the conservatory with her while _she _mediated. Meditating wasn't Cody's way any more - before leaving Anobis and even during part of of their adventures away, he had craved it, needed it, enjoyed it. For a time, it had helped heal him and had helped bring a sense of balance back to him at a time when he'd had none.

But, he'd found his balance again, his sense of self and purpose. He didn't feel the need to meditate like a Jedi anymore and Tay graciously respected that. But, he found that he still enjoyed the quiet shared with her, so he'd sit in the conservatory, surrounded by plants that were slowly starting to bloom, and clean his weapons or his armor while he watched her.

Cleaning his equipment was a comfort to him - even more deep-seated and gratifying than meditation had ever been. The repetitious movements were second-nature to him and he was able to let his mind wander, calm and blank, in way that was almost like trance-like. It made him feel like he knew who he was again and it wasn't hard for him to get gently wrapped up in the peacefulness of the moment, while Tay sat cross-legged in front of him and he sat surrounded by an array of broken-down parts.

The juxtaposition of opposites pleased him, too. He, with his armor and his tools of destruction - a soldier. She, with her radiance and her gentle sense of majesty - a Jedi. He thought they complimented each other. Darkness and light, each in their own way. A study in war and peace.

He was so used to the silence, though, that her words startled him at first. Cody looked up sharply, from the sun steel knife that he was carefully polishing with a lightly greased rag. Tay had her faced toward him and her expression was unusually intense.

"Yes," he said after a minute and nodded slowly.

He glanced down at the gift Mal had given him and turned it thoughtfully over in his hands.

"I've changed."

"You surprised me, in the garden, when you kissed me," the intensity on her face shifted slightly into something shy.

A light blush crept across her cheeks and Cody felt the sudden urge to kiss her again. He slowly set the knife to the side and followed through on his impulse.

He rose to his knees and reached for her across the short distance that separated them. She sighed softly against his lips, just before they made contact and Cody tangled his fingers through the back of her short hair. He didn't care if he was interrupting her meditative mindset - he'd vowed, on Bellassa, not to hold back from showing her what he felt for her, when he felt it.

For several long minutes, silence returned to the conservatory, the only sound the shifting of their bodies. By the time Cody pulled back from her lips, he had straddled her lap, his thighs on the outside of hers, the backs of his knees hooked over hers as she stayed seated in her cross-legged pose. He had one hand in her hair, along the back of her neck, the other pressed against her lower back to hold her steady against him. Her hands were flattened against his chest; he could feel his nipples brush against the hollow of her palms.

"You smell like _uj'Jayl_," he whispered against her neck as he nuzzled her skin.

Cody took a deep breath and nearly groaned into her throat. She smelled sweet, but not like flowers or perfume. Her scent was heavier than that, a little darker - it was smooth and it made his mouth water, like the smell of that thick Mandalorian syrup.

He gently pushed the collar of her tunic down and kissed the juncture of her neck and her shoulder. Tay leaned her head back, opening her throat to him even more and Cody's tongue flickered experimentally against her soft, gently tanned skin. The taste of her stirred a hunger deep inside of him, and he made her moan even louder as he opened his mouth and nipped her gently.

This went on for several more minutes, as Cody explored the taste and texture of her skin. His mouth traveled lightly over her throat, her ears, her cheeks, her nose; her hands fisted into his tunic as she clung to him. When he kissed her, she gave back as good as she got and when they finally broke apart for a second time, their breathing was noticeably heavier.

"You taste like _uj _cake," Cody nipped her earlobe, just to hear her gasp again.

"And you taste like _tihaar_," Tay murmured as she brought her fingers up and rested them lightly on his lips.

"What's that?" he lifted a slight eyebrow as she shifted underneath him.

"It's a Mandalorian drink. An alcohol distilled from fruit - Saa gave me a shot of it before," she stretched her legs out between his thighs and blushed a bit at the memory. "It practically knocked me out," she admitted with an embarrassed little laugh. "Saa and Hella thought it was the funniest thing in the world. They still make fun of me for it, from time to time."

Cody leaned back on his haunches; her legs were flat beneath him and this position was much more comfortable than the one they'd be in before. She seemed to sense that he wanted a little space between them for the moment and put her hands behind her, leaning back against her flattened palms.

He searched her face for a moment, his eyes taking in her short white hair, her gold headband, her flawless skin. She was truly the most beautiful woman he'd ever met, though Cody suspected that had more to do with the beauty of her spirit, than the beauty of her physical body.

And his body - his heart - longed for her, hungered for her. But, there was something he had to know, something they had to settle before he felt comfortable entrusting any more of himself to her.

"Do I still remind you of Del?" he asked solemnly, his voice suddenly very low and very rough.

Her answer was instantaneous.

"No."

He considered her for a moment, as he searched her face and her body language for any hint of dishonesty. He found none.

"What's changed?"

"You have."

"How?"

She nibbled her bottom lip for a moment as she searched for the right words and Cody was momentarily distracted by it. He silently resolved to nibble that lip _for_ her, once he got the chance. But, first, he had to know.

"You both share a common virtue - strength. And at first, I confused the two of you because of it. But, our time apart has force me to step back and reconsider you. It's forced me to take notice of the subtle things," she leaned forward off of her palms and reached a hand out toward his face.

Her fingers traced the curve of his jaw as she spoke, her voice as gentle as her hand. Cody sat back against her legs and listened quietly, letting her speak her peace. Letting her touch her fill.

"When I only had the sound of your voice, when we would talk on the comline, I noticed the differences in your voice. Yours is a little deeper, a little rougher - your words sound a bit more like - " she paused and thought, biting her lip again.

Cody _really_ wished she wouldn't do that. Her hand traced along the curve of his mouth and he couldn't help nipping the tip of a finger as it drifted along the edge of his bottom lip.

"Your voice sounds like whiskey. Del's was like tea - a deep, strong, Alderaan black," she lifted a pale eyebrow above the edge of her headband. "Two distinctly different things. You shape your vowels slightly different, put different inflection on different consonants. Del had a faintly Kaminoan accent - yours is slightly Coruscanti," she titled her head to the side. "I haven't quite been able to figure out how."

"My training instructor was Coruscanti," Cody just chuckled; her hand brushed against his eyelashes and he lowered his gaze in response. "And so was General Kenobi. I probably picked it up from the two of them."

"Ah," her hand brushed against his cheek and her fingers lingered against his days' worth of stubble.

"So," Cody prompted after a slight pause. "What else is different?"

It wasn't vanity that prompted him to ask - it was fear. The memories of both Jaria and Jornada Del Muerto had made a strong impression on his heart and the clone was still reluctant to accept that Tay could "see" him for who he was - a man as different as any other. He needed to know that she thought differently of him, now. And, he needed to hear her explain those differences to him.

Tay seemed to understand this unspoken need and she continued gently, her words honest and her observations genuine.

"The differences between you and Del have only gotten more pronounced since you've come back home. Del's strength was youthful - it had the sense of being so natural to him that he didn't even think about it. It was bright and there was nothing about his sense in the Force that suggested that he doubted it, or questioned it. Your strength," Tay's fingers lingered along the edge of Cody's left eye, her touch moving gently across his scar. "Your strength is hard-won and tempered by experiences that have broken lesser men. You're darker in the Force than Del ever was."

"Isn't showing up dark in the Force a _bad_ thing?" Cody tilted his head into her touch.

She seemed fascinated by his scar and he wasn't ashamed to show that he enjoyed it. He'd always been a little proud of his scars, particularly the one that curved around his left eye. Men with identical faces were often less concerned about facial scarring than others - it was a way to set themselves apart. Scars were a means to a hard-earned individuality and he appreciated her taking note of it. He'd earned it in one of his ARC training exercises and it had been one of the first signs of his emerging sense of self.

"Not necessarily," Tay's fingers slowly drifted down his scar and traced a line across his cheek, down toward the curve of his jaw and the side of his throat. "You're not consumed by your darkness, merely defined by it. It's made the sense of you much stronger."

"Hmm," Cody didn't really know what to say to that - he _never_ really knew what to say in response to the Jedi and their Force.

So, he just made a noncommittal noise in the back of his throat and took the words for what he knew they were - words of approval and encouragement.

"And now that you've been gone and come back, I've noticed other things that are different. Like I said before, they're subtle things," her hand drifted lower, across his shoulders and down his arm; she seemed to enjoy tracing the outline of his bicep through the fabric of his tunic. "You walk differently than Del, now - you have a sort of -" her hand paused on his elbow as she seemed to be searching for the right word. "Swagger, I think, to your step."

Cody just chuckled and it was her turn to tilt her head in a silent question.

"You can thank Saa for that. He made me wear a kama," Cody grinned and shrugged. "It's...ah...kind of like a belt spat," he tried desperately to avoid using the colloquial term that the uninitiated seemed to favor, but it was obvious by the look on Tay's face that she had absolutely no reference point for "belt spat."

Cody sighed and then couldn't help laughing.

"It's an open-front, knee-length _skirt_, basically."

"Oh," Tay frowned and she took a minute to consider this new piece of information, before asking, "How does that change the way you walk?"

"It attaches to the back of the belt and 'round the sides. It's designed to protect the back and sides of the legs from shrapnel and it's usually made out of a really heavy leather," Cody lifted his other arm - the one Tay's hand _wasn't_ resting on - and ran a hand across his hair with a bemused smile. "The extra weight around the waist forces the hips forward slightly, creating a change in gait. Or, like you said, a 'swagger'."

"Do you always wear it, then?" Tay frowned slightly. "I haven't heard anything move around your legs and I would imagine something heavy like that would hit the back of your thighs when you walk."

She had never talked about using echolocation before, so Cody was a bit surprised by her observation. Though, on second thought, he reasoned it shouldn't have surprised him so much - the ability to use echolocation would be a perfectly natural compensation for her lack of eyesight.

"No, I haven't worn it in a while. But, even if worn for a short period of time, a kama can make a difference in the way you carry yourself," Cody was suddenly struck by another impulse, and he leaned forward to kiss her nose and add softly, "Though, being around you is enough to make _any_ man swagger."

His words had the desired affect and she blushed brightly. She laughed softly, though, and for a moment the young Jedi seemed almost at a loss for words. But, in the end, she just shook her head and kissed him quickly on the lips.

"You kiss differently from Del, too. And," her fingers drifted down to his wrist, where she traced the veins on the top of his hand. "You touch me differently, too. You're..." she blushed and seemed stuck for words again.

Cody just kissed her, which distracted her even further. But, as he pulled away from her, she seemed to have found the words that eluded her, though they now sounded a little breathless.

"Once again, Del was very _youthful_ in his affections. He was like a windstorm to me - fierce, dominate, playful. You're like a fire, though," her blush crept up past the roots of her hair and Cody was absolutely riveted to her softly-spoken confession. "Since coming back home, you've been very warm, very _passionate_, very...intense."

She practically stuttered to a stop and they had leaned in toward each other to the point where their noses were almost touching. Cody considered tilting his head to the side and kissing her again, but he decided he liked her choice of words. He liked the _intensity_ of the moment and he liked keeping her in suspense. So, he just froze, his hands resting on her hips, her hands resting on his forearms, their torsos almost-touching-but-not-quite.

"From the moment I met you, I could sense something _hungry_ about you, Cody," Tay was whispering now, her breath light against his lips, his nose. "At the time, I think you sated that hunger with your addictions. Then, when you became clean, I think you hungered for forgiveness, for absolution, for a sense of self. And now, I think you've found those things by going back to Bellassa - back to your past."

She stopped, again, her body language shy and uncertain. Cody just smirked slyly and began rubbing his thumbs in slow circles against the curve of her hips.

"So, what do I hunger for now?"

"I think you're a man who hungers for a woman," Tay admitted after a slight, breathless pause; her words came reluctantly, as if she were finally baring her secrets to him. "And I'm almost afraid of being consumed by it."

"By me?" Cody was mildly surprised - after what she'd pulled him through, he couldn't imagine her being afraid of him.

"By your hunger," Tay's hands finally began to move again - this time, she brushed her fingers across the width of his chest.

"And this makes me different from Del?" Cody caught her hand in his and lifted her fingers to his mouth, where he gently nipped the heel of her palm.

"Very," Tay was truly breathless now and her cheeks seemed stained with a permanent blush.

Cody paused, putting his intensity aside for just one moment more, as he finally admitted the one thing he feared most of all. He lowered her hand from his mouth and tightened his grip around her wrist as he struggled for a moment to find the words. Finally, his own confession came and he hoped fervently that his ears wouldn't turn red.

"And if I _did_ consume you with this...hunger..." his voice was rough and hesitant. "My body wouldn't remind you of Del? For all our differences, we _are_ the same..." he couldn't help it - he blushed. "Anatomically speaking."

A coy little smile suddenly curled the edges of Tay's lip and she tilted her head to one side - this time, Cody was pretty sure it was an expression of amusement.

"I fail to see a problem with that. I was _quite_ fond of Del's anatomy, as I recall."

Cody blustered for a moment - her reaction, while honest, was completely unexpected. He felt his own face flushing red in the face of her secret little smile and for a second or two, he sputtered.

"That's not exactly what I meant," he paused and then admitted a little petulantly, "I just don't want to remind you of Del," he managed to bite his tongue before he added, "again".

He figured it might not help matters to state the obvious.

"I doubt now that I could think of Del when I'm with you, even if I tried," Tay gently pulled her hand out of his and touched his cheek. "And as for you and him being the same...anatomically," her nose crinkled in another smile, but her words remained earnest in their seriousness. "There's a bit of a saying among us females, quite regardless of species."

Cody frowned a bit.

"What's that?"

Tay's reaction was so deadpan, that it took Cody a minute or two to catch what she was saying.

"It doesn't matter what you have, _cyar'ika_, it's how you _use_ it."

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><p>Cody pondered the meaning of this galactic female saying for several days. It wasn't hard to figure out - he'd deciphered Tay's meaning just moments after she said it and their discussion had dissolved shortly thereafter into a fit of giggles and fairly playful kisses. But, the deeper ramifications of what she'd said, gave him cause for thought and he took it seriously, giving everything that was said the thoroughness of his undivided consideration.<p>

Her words, however playfully pointed, had the affect that was so desperately needed. Cody no longer doubted that Tay was willing to accept him for who he was - she wasn't expecting a duplicate of her husband, nor did she want one. When he was finally invited to occupy her bed, it would be _his_ name on her lips. _Not_ Del's.

And, her words helped to fully heal that one last part of him that doubted. He was engineered to be absolutely identical to a million other men - but consciousness, thoughts, actions, deeds, and _soul_ could never be cloned. His experiences had shaped him into a man who was entirely different from his thousands of "brothers". And even if he was created to have their same body, the choice of what to _do _with his body was his own.

The choice of how to love _his_ woman, was his own. Cody finally allowed himself to speculate on the many things _his_ body could do to bring Tay pleasure, but he wasn't in any rush to finally consummate their budding romance. Something still lingered between them - some unspoken understanding.

They had _time_ and plenty of it. Cody knew, even without Tay spelling it out for him, that her relationship with Del had been fast, sporadic, and frantic. Del may have won his place as her first, as her husband, and as the father of her first child, but his place in her heart had been won in the backdrop of a galactic war.

Cody remembered only too well how things had been between him and Jaria. Their relationship hadn't been anything like what had existed between Del and Tay, but they had all had the war in common. Whatever time he'd been able to spend with Jaria, had been furtive and fleeting - usually caught between meetings or meals, in places where they were fairly certain no one would catch them. Everything else had been furtive touches caught as they passed each other in the p-ways or glances exchanged when no one else was looking. He'd never really held her, or just sat alone in her company, or shared a quiet meal together without anyone else around.

The former commander sincerely hoped that Tay's experiences with Del had been a less...crude. But, even if they'd managed to find time alone, in a proper sense, he knew that they'd still had to cope with one universal challenge - time apart.

And no matter how close the bond that brought them together had become by the end of the war, Cody knew that Tay had only been able to experience half of a relationship with Del. True intimacy was a hard thing to cultivate during a war, when both parties of a relationship were kept apart for months. And based on Tay's hesitation to contact him while he was on contract on Bellassa, Cody knew that she had probably never contacted Del, as an ARC trooper unable to tell her where he was or what he was doing. Communication hadn't been the best between the Miralukan Jedi and her ARC trooper - between the distance imposed upon them and the silence that had probably dominated at least half of their time spent apart, Cody was frankly amazed that they'd become as committed as they had.

In any event, Cody pondered over what he knew of Del and Tay's relationship, and determined to give her something more. _They_ had time, now - with the planting season in full swing and Saa's injury, Cody knew that they wouldn't be going anywhere any time soon. So, he set out to court Tay, as best as he knew how.

The weeks that followed were some of the slowest and sweetest of Cody's short life. Their days would begin before the sun even rose, with a small breakfast and copious amounts of caf. Saa and him would sit on their usual stools, bleary-eyed with sleep, and hunch over a plate of eggs while Tay stood across from them and sipped her ever-present tea. Then, the day's work would commence - Saa had a list of house chores that never seemed to diminish, Tay busied herself in the garden and in the hothouses, and Cody took the hardest task of plowing several acres set aside for nysillin.

The days were long, hot, and arduous. Cody asked Tay once why she didn't have farming droids, which would have made things much easier for her. She had only blushed and admitted one of the downsides of being Miralukan -

"I don't like being around non-organics."

He'd caught her during a midday break; he'd come down from the fields for lunch and was eating it while leaning his hip against the garden fence. She still had her hands in freshly turned-up earth and was kneeling by his side. She'd tucked her chin in toward her chest at her words, as if ashamed to admit a decided prejudice.

"It's hard for us Miralukans to deal with non-organics. My friend Callista Ming - another Altisian Jedi - would often argue with me about the nature of the Force in things like computers and droids," Tay had settled back on her heels and shrugged, her expression still bemused. "She said that the Force was just as strong in machines as it was in organic life. I never doubted her, but," Tay just shook her head and the sunlight caught across her headband. "If the Force is in droids, it's a very different thing and not something I know how to feel or to connect into."

Cody tried to make sense of what she was saying, as he bit into a piece of buttered bread.

"So, you don't like droids because you can't feel the Force in them?"

"Yes," Tay seemed relieved by his ability to piece together her Jedi concepts. "It's quite common for most Miralukans to be thrown off by non-organic forms. As a culture, we will usually choose to avoid anything we can't 'see' or feel in the Force. Plus," she paused and turned her face up toward Cody, her expression surprisingly bitter. "I will admit that I haven't had any reason to be fond of droids, since dealing with the realities of the War."

His heart went out to her - he knew only too well what she meant by those words.

He felt the same way.

"So, I make do here on the farm without them," Tay bent back over her vegetable beds and picked up her trowel to dig around a particularly stubborn tangle of roots. "It would be easier if I had a few, but I've managed without them so far. And hopefully," she smiled up at him. "The Force will send me strong backs and willing hands for as long as I need them."

Cody didn't mind offering her his strong back and willing hands, especially at night, when she would massage the kinks out of his shoulders, and rub a homemade lotion of bacta and other botanicals into his hands. Cody enjoyed her touch, her care, her kindness - he tried to give back as best he could, by working from dawn to dusk, and by learning to touch her back.

Touch, he discovered, was a powerful thing. In the ranks of the GAR, touch had been practically non-existent, except for the occasional grasp of the hand or slap on the back. And even then, most touch was done through gloves, or armor, or a bodysuit. Cody couldn't recall a time that he'd ever been touched, skin-to-skin, in the line of duty. Except, maybe, when he'd visited the medstation, but there, touch had been decidedly clinical.

He'd learned to touch with Jaria, but even there, touch had been decidedly one-dimensional. With her, Cody had only learned about the sexual side of touch. He'd learned how to give pleasure through touch; he'd learned how to make a woman moan, and squirm, and whimper. He'd learned how to bring about his own release and hers.

But, he'd never learned about the _simplicities_ of touch, until now. With Tay, touch wasn't clinical, but it wasn't always sexual, either. With Tay, touch was a means of communication, a way to convey feeling and emotion, without ever uttering a word.

It didn't hurt that the Miraluka were a touch-oriented people by sheer practical need. Without eyesight, they relied primarily on the Force, and also on their other senses. They had developed, as a race, keen senses of hearing, amazingly accurate senses of smell, refined senses of taste, and very driven senses of touch. For a Miralukan, much could be said just by the lingering of one's fingers against a cheek or the brush of a hand against a bare shoulder.

He learned to decipher some of her touches - sometimes, Tay touched him just to feel what he was wearing, or just to reassure herself of where he stood. Sometimes, her touch was meant to heal, like when she touched his back or his hands after a long day in the fields. Sometimes, her touch was absently affectionate, like when she'd play with his hair in the evenings while he sat on the floor next to her by the couch. Sometimes, her touch was gently intimate, like when she'd run her fingers across his face to feel his expressions underneath her fingertips. Sometimes, her touch was sexual, like when she kissed him or when she slipped her hand underneath his tunic to run her nails across his chest.

Cody learned to respond appropriately to her many touches and he learned to reciprocate. He learned how to reach out and touch her shoulder if he was walking behind her in the kitchen. He learned how to wash the cuts on her arms, when she got into a one-sided fight with a thorn bush. He learned how to hold her in front of the fire while they listened to Saa's old stories of his days as a young mercenary, before the Wars. He learned how to cradle the back of her head, before bending down to give her a good-night kiss. He learned where she liked to be touched the most and how to bring her pleasure.

And, they talked - about everything, and anything, and nothing at all. They talked about the fields and about the type of plants Tay grew. They talked about her contracts in the capitol and about how much the projected harvest might bring in the fall. They talked about chores, and Saa, and Hella, and the past.

They bickered, about silly things.

They even got into a fight, when Cody's insistence on remaining armed nearly resulted in him shooting a startled Sazen, who had come up behind him in the fields one afternoon without warning.

But, most of all, they learned to share _silence_. This happened most, in the evenings, when all three of them would gather in the living room after dinner. Saa would usually settle in a chair by the fire - the pain in his leg seemed to lessen in front of the warmth. Cody would usually sit on the floor next to Tay, his back against the couch; sometimes, he'd sit in front of the fire as well, across from Saa, where the light was better for carving.

The men picked up their half-finished chess pieces as if they hadn't ever left. Cody's hands were steadier now, more certain of what they could do. He carved Waxer and Boil as the 7th Sky Corps' knights; he carved duplicates of himself as the bishop pieces. On a moment of whimsy, he chose Duchess Satine as their queen - she was the most fitting partner Cody knew, to the man he carved as king.

Some of his lingering sadness and regret left him, as he meticulously carved Obi-Wan's face onto a small block of wood. He missed his general - a part of him would _always_ miss that past. But, he'd been given one final chance to set things right - one final mission to watch his general's back and rebuild the trust that had been broken. Cody was fairly certain the two men would never cross paths again - but as he sat in front of quiet fires during cool Anobian spring evenings, the clone was finally able to come to peace with the past and letting go.

He enjoyed the silence, which gave him that space to heal. Often, by the end of the day, Saa, Tay, and him were too tired to say much. In those hours, Cody learned how to just _be_. In some ways, he felt the loss of his brothers a little less in the evening; the comfortable silence he found with Saa and Tay was not dissimilar to the companionable silence he had shared on multiple occasions with his brothers, in their down-time between missions, meals, briefings, and battles.

Silence could certainly divide, but it could also unite. It filled in the quiet spaces between words and soothed the soul. It reaffirmed Cody's place in the simple life he'd found, with a newly-retired Mandalorian and an exiled Jedi. It It proved to him that he'd finally found a place to belong, where he was accepted for who he was, where he wasn't expected to be more than a man of few words and a hard past.

Tay would usually meditate toward the end of those evening hours and Cody would accompany her into the conservatory. There, he would clean his weapons or, sometimes, just lay on his back against the pillows and alternate between looking up at the stars and watching her. During that gentle hour, Saa would limp off to bed, leaving Cody and Tay to their own devices.

Most nights - but not all - Cody would pull Tay down into his arms after her hour was up and try to describe the stars to her. Sometimes - but not always - he'd get too distracted by the warmth of her body and they'd start to explore each other. Over the course of several slow, deliciously agonizing weeks, Cody worked up the courage to move from simple kisses and gentle touches, to bolder explorations.

Tay did the same, in kind. True to her word, she seemed to take great delight in exploring the broad planes of taunt skin and ridges of broad muscle that he had worked so hard to reclaim. And as the weeks unfolded, Cody finally became certain of his place.

He no longer felt that he had to fight against the memory of a dead man. Cody stopped worrying if Tay was remembering another man's identical body when he held her against him; he no longer wondered who she was thinking about when he touched her, or kissed her.

But through it all - the silence, the intimacy, the quiet courtship - Cody couldn't shake the feeling that this resting time wouldn't last long. Even rural Anobis wasn't safe from the machinations of the Empire and Cody's military experiences told him only too well, that sooner or later, the events of the galaxy would catch up with them.


	2. Blackout 2

"_And floating up / You pass us in the night. / A future gazing out / A past to overwrite."_

"**Blackout"**

**Linkin Park**

* * *

><p>"You really shouldn't wear that," Cody growled darkly in Tay's ear, as he came up behind her in the kitchen and slid his hands suggestively over her hips.<p>

She was wearing his tunic.

It had never once entered Cody's mind, how absolutely appealing it would be to catch a woman - _his_ woman - in his clothes. But, the sight of her standing at the sink, in what was very clearly his tunic and very little _else_, stirred something darkly primal inside of him.

"Yes, well..._someone_ forgot to hang up the clean laundry to dry, so when I went to look for my sleeping tunic, it was no where to be found. I just picked up the first tunic I came across," Tay shrugged, feigning innocence. "It's what you get for leaving it tossed over the back of the couch."

"Don't blame me for the laundry," Cody nipped her neck and enjoyed the sudden hitch in her breath. "That's Saa's job."

"Well, I _can_ blame you for throwing your clothes everywhere on the way to 'fresher," Tay scolded, but there was very little heat to her voice; as a matter of fact, her words sounded rather breathless, in the way they did when her passions were aroused.

"One tunic across the back of the couch hardly counts as 'throwing everywhere'," Cody slowly pulled the tails of his tunic higher up on her thigh and slipped his hands underneath the loose fabric.

He loved the feel of her skin against his rough hands and the feel of her body as it trembled slightly underneath his; he mumbled suggestively into her neck as he let his hands wander.

"I could demonstrate what _really_ counts as throwing clothes, though, if you'd like."

"Saa's still awake," she protested weakly.

"So?" Cody moved his lips up toward her ear.

He gently brushed the edge of her ear with his lips and whispered -

"I think he's kind of figured out that we have a bit of a thing for each other."

"'A _bit_ of a thing'?" she sounded amused and she moved her face, as if trying to "look" over her shoulder at him.

He kissed her cheek, just along the bottom edge of her headband and waited for her to speak again. She reached her hand up and brushed her fingers across his days' worth of stubble; by now, he'd learned to decipher at least a few of her touches. In this case, her fingers seemed almost thoughtful, as they traced the line of his jaw.

"You've been home how long now?"

"'Bout three weeks or so," Cody shrugged - he hadn't really been keeping track of time, truth be told.

But, the answer seemed to satisfy her. Her hand cupped his jaw, just below his ear, as she leaned back against his chest.

"I think that's enough time, don't you?"

"'Nuff time for what?" Cody purposely played oblivious; for a moment, she said absolutely nothing, but her fingers found their way past his ear and into his short-cut hair along the side of his head.

"Cody?" Tay's voice had slipped into the soft, throaty purr he'd begun to recognize and crave.

"Hmmm?"

"Come to bed with me."

"Right now?"

"Mmm-hmm," Tay turned her face again and brushed her lips against the corner of his mouth.

He took a deep, sharp intake of breath, as if to steady himself. He'd waited patiently, ever since Jornada Del Muerto, to hear those words. A part of him knew he could have pushed his boundaries sooner, especially in the last few weeks. But, it had been important to him to have her invite him to her bed for the first time - it was a strange, old-fashioned courtesy, but it was one that they had both needed.

For Cody, it was a courtesy that let him know, under no uncertain terms, that she was ready to welcome him into that last remaining intimacy. It was a courtesy that reassured him that it was something _she_ wanted, not the other way around.

In some ways, it showed that old habits died hard - initiative still made him uncomfortable. He _needed_ to know what she wanted, in clear terms that he couldn't misunderstand. It was still easier for him, that way. It removed his tendency to doubt.

He put his hands on her hips and slowly turned her around. Tay, emboldened by the boundaries they had already crossed in the days and weeks prior, let her hands drift sensuously against his freshly-washed and naked chest. Cody tilted his head to the side and leaned in for just one last, quick kiss...

When's Saa's gravely voice cut decisively through their mutual fog of lust.

"You two kids might wanna' come listen to this."

Cody literally growled in frustration. For a second, he was sorely tempted to just pick Tay up in his arms and march right past Saa toward her waiting bedroom in the back half of the house. But, ignoring an authority figure was something Cody couldn't bring himself to do – even _with_ the temptation of a willing woman pliant in his arms.

So, the former commander settled for growling a vague threat in Saa's general direction, as he lifted his face up and away from Tay's.

"This had better be good."

* * *

><p>Saa seemed both mildly amused <em>and<em> apologetic, as he lead Cody and Tay into the cozily-lit livingroom adjourning the kitchen. He even paused a moment, in the doorway between the two rooms, to briefly explain why he had interrupted a promising lover's tryst.

"Just got a call in from Hella. I'd recommend the two of you keep quiet and stay in the background, but I've rigged my buy'ce so the video-audio feed will project on an external holoscreen," Saa paused and the weathered old merc glanced quickly from Cody, to Tay, to back again; his expression was decently abashed. "Didn't think you two would want to hear this news second-hand, so I put her on hold for a minute or two."

Cody just nodded and jerked his chin toward the dimmer living room in indication of his willingness to trust Saa's instincts. Tay curled her arm around Cody's waist in a silent show of both affection and support, and the two moved into the living room together.

Saa had his buy'ce rigged up on the short-legged table in the center of the small room; the projector was turned toward the far corner of the couch and Cody could see a frozen holopic of Hella flickering pale and blue against the warmer backdrop of the fireplace. The clone decided it would be best, then, to sit in Saa's usual armchair, which was behind the buy'ce and catty-corner from holoprojection itself.

Cody settled in with a sigh – a part of him was intrigued by Saa's mysteriousness, but a larger part of him wished the old merc's timing was more appropriate. The clone reached out and grabbed Tay's hand as she made to move past him and Cody satisified himself – for the moment – with pulling her down onto his lap. He wrapped his arms around her waist and the Miralukan Jedi snuggled insantly against his bare chest; her breath ghosted gently against his skin and her hair was soft and warm beneath his chin.

Saa sat down on the couch and glanced over toward the cozy couple. For a moment or two, the edges around his mouth softened. By now, Cody knew the Mandalorian well enough to read the flash of approval in his sharp green eyes; the two men met each other's gaze across the two or three arms' length between them and Cody basked briefly in the warmth of Saa's silent blessing.

Then, without further ado, Saa shifted his focus to the frozen holoprojection. He put his hand inside of his buy'ce and a second later, Hella's blue-tinged figure blinked and warped as the holo-feed caught up again with real-time.

After several seconds of shifting static lines, Hella came back into focus. From Cody's viewpoint in the back, it appeared that she was looking down on something in her paws and didn't immediately realize that she'd been taken off hold.

"You were saying, Hel'ika," Saa slowly leaned forward in his seat and put his elbows on his knees as he gave his daughter his full attention.

"Ah...!" the Togorian's head titled up sharply and Cody could imagine the bemused look on her furry, whiskered face.

Hella was _not_ the personality type that liked being caught off-guard; Saa, on the other hand, chuckled in obvious enjoyment of his momentary gain of the upper hand. Cody remembered the moment at the culling pens on Jornada Del Muerto, when Hella had prowled up behind him and boasted of her Togorian-given ability to move about without the slightest sound. A smile even twitched on the corners of his own mouth, as he recognized the signs of a mutual "game" played by both Hella and Saa – the kind of friendly rivalry played by a father and a daughter, over who was better at what.

"There you are," Hella – in her typical fashion – moved briskly to business and didn't allow her _buir_ much time to gloat in his fleeting glory. "All is well?"

"It was just Tay and Cody, messing about in the kitchen," Saa shrugged and kept his eyes firmly focused on Hella's flickering projection.

Tay "hmphed" a bit, her shoulders rising and falling sharply with a soft snort of amusement. Cody titled his chin down so he could place a lingering kiss on the top of her head; if given his druthers, he would have prefered to be tangled up in Tay's sheets at that moment. But, now Saa had his interest and he couldn't help notice Hella's tail flick once, twice in something like aggrivation. He lifted a eyebrow and glanced toward Saa – how much _did_ Hella know? If the subtle movement of her tail was any indication, she sensed her _buir'_s little white lie.

And, disapproved. Though, except for that single flick of the very tip of her tail, she made no indication of her truer feelings.

"So, you were saying...?" Saa moved the conversation smoothly past the truth of why he had put Hella on hold in the middle of their preexisting conversation.

The Togorian flicked her tail once again – back, forth – but continued just as smoothly with the discussion as if nothing unusual had been so casually bypassed.

"I ran into one of the _aliit_ about two days ago. As I was saying before, I would have contacted you sooner, _buir_, but...things are changing for the worse here in Korynth," Hella shifted her arms and from the look of her stance, she had crossed her arms over her chest.

Her voice lowered a notch or two, though she was still clearly audible through the _buy'ce_'s feed.

"An Imperial battleship docked about a week ago. Then, just two days after that, there was a breif skirmish between between a few of the battleship's new model starfighters and a Corellian-made light frieght. The freighter has since disappeared, but the Imperials have stayed in the capitol," both Hella's tail and ears flickered in a clear indication of disapproval. "And have made their presence _very_ heavily known.

"The skirmish between the Imperialists and the freighter knocked down a communications tower in the center of the city. And now all contact between the western and eastern sides of the planet are being heavily monitered."

"Imperialists in Korynth," Saa's back stiffened and he sat straight up; a troubled look flashed across his face, before his usual stoic mask slid into face and shuttered his emotions carefully behind the professional face of a life-long mercenary. "That's some grim news you bring, _ad'ika_. Though, how does this all tie in with meeting your _vod_?"

"She contacted me just hours after the frieghter disappeared. She asked that I not pass on her name, but she said that you would know her by her description," Hella's tail waved slowly back and forth, as her tone turned thoughtful. "She has a limp – a condition I believe she called 'gout'?" the Togorian titled her head to the side as she tried to make sense of the unfamiliar word. "She said she was once one of the _Cuy'val Dar_ and that she worked on hire for the Republic as a blockade runner for various planetary systems during the Wars."

Hella paused again and Cody turned his attention toward Saa. Something..._cold_...ran through his veins at the name "_Cuy'val Dar_."

_Kamino_. The name and the memories ran unbidden through his mind. With the sense of cold, left in the wake of his earliest memories, came a feeling of hope that he barely dared to recognize.

Where there was talk of Kamino, these days, there was also talk of _clones_. Cody was distracted from his racing thoughts, though, by the gentle pressure of Tay's lips against the side of his throat. Warmth counterbalance the knot of cold anxiety in his chest and he relaxed muscles that he hadn't even realized he had tensed.

He determed that, later, he would go out of his way to demonstrate his appreciation to Tay for sensing his emotions and setting them straight. The thought made the corners of his mouth soften and he moved one of his hands from her shoulder, to brush his knuckles absently along her cheek.

His attention drifted back to Saa and the look of unadultered _amazement_ on the Mandalorian's face surprised Cody in turn. After a few moments of shocked silence, Saa's expression slowly turned thoughtful.

"Ru'ika's daughter," Saa reached up and slowly stroked the goatee that he had decided to keep from his days posing as Cody's Miralukan "side-kick". "I met her very briefly during the War. Good woman, if one didn't take into account her taste in men," the mercenary's lipst twisted wryly. "Fine pilot, too, if the Republic payroll was anything to go by."

"I liked her as well. Runi chose well," Hella paused and a deep sorrow tinted her next words. "Mro'ika would have been proud."

"Indeed," Saa leaned back against the couch and continued stroking his chin, deep in thought.

Cody knew the man well enough by now, to know when ideas were running through Saa's calculating mind. There was a heavy, pregnant silence in the room for several long moments, before Hella hestitantly broke through her _buir'_s private musings.

"She has found work as a smuggler, since the Wars. Currently, though, she works in partnership with a bounty hunter," the Togorian's ears suddenly went flat back against her skull. "A Lepi," those two words alone conveyed her personal opinion on the character in question.

"A Lepi bounty-hunter?" Saa, on the other hand, seemed mildly amused, if not incredulous.

Cody watched as the mercenary's eyebrows arched high in surprise.

"That's not something you hear about every day. Those types usually make good, solid pilots from what I've seen, but I can't say I've ever known one that wasn't skittish with a blaster."

"This one fancies herself a bit of a vigilante," Hella snorted, her disdain apparent. "A braggart, if you ask me."

"Oh, well," Saa barked a short laugh and shrugged. "Most Lepis are tall on the tale and short on the wit."

Hella just snorted and flicked her tail. Another short pause punctuated the conversation, but then she sighed and rocked back on her heels.

"In any case, Ru'ika's daugther and this Lepi have taken a bounty from the Imperialists, to search for the missing freighter."

"Now, why would a Par'jain do a fool thing like that?" amusement slipped from Saa's face and was replaced by a disapproving frown. "The _aliit_ is still loyal to the Republic. Or, at least, to _freedom_."

"This is why my _vod_ would like to meet you and speak to you in person," Hella paused, as if for effect, before continuing softly. "She – and the Lepi – claim that the freighter belongs to a crew of Imperial deserters."

Cody thought his heart would stop.

"_Deserters?"_ His heart raced, the implications suddenly unfathomable. He unconsciously tightened his grip on the Jedi in his lap and even the touch of Tay's cool fingers on his chest didn't divert his instantly riveted attention.

"The information that was shared with me claims that two of that crew were captured in Korynth by Imperial operatives and are being held alive onboard the battleship. There are still four crewmembers onboard the freighter – three females and a man. A clone."

Saa very quietly and very carefully echoed the very question that suddenly leapt to Cody's lips.

"A name?"

"I was given none," Hella shook her head and her ears flickered apologetically. "I was told, however, that more information would be forthcoming, if a meeting could be arranged with you."

"And why would your _vod_ want a meeting with me, if she's accepted an Imperial bounty?" a fierce, dangerous fire suddenly glinted coldly in Saa's shadowed green eyes.

He leaned forward slowly toward the holoprojector, as if that would make him closer to Hella somehow.

"She said you would ask that," Hella chuckled sharply and shook her head again. "As you say, the two of you met in the Wars. She says she knows that you had contact with..." the Togorian paused and titled her head, as if trying to recall the exact words. "'Skirata's boys' and that you – like her – were loyal to the ideals of the Republic. She said to tell you that you fought with clones and that she trained them," the striped cat-woman shrugged and spread her hands open wide as if in supplication. "And that it is in the nature of a Par'jain to betray her enemy."

"Ah," was all Saa said for a very, very long time.

And in the profound silence that followed, Cody's heart and mind raced, turning what Hella had said over and over in his mind -

"_There are still four crewmembers on board the freighter – three females and a man. A clone."_


	3. Blackout 3

_"So come down / Far below / We've been waiting to collect / The things you know."_

**"Blackout"  
>Linkin Park<strong>

* * *

><p>Saa eventually agreed to meet with the mystery <em>vod<em>, much to both Cody and Tay's surprise. Hella, however, seemed to have anticipated her _buir'_s decision and had even thought ahead far enough to consider a neutral rendezvous point.

"I told her that if you agreed to meet her, you would be waiting for her in Cree'dee."

Tay stiffened in Cody's arms and she suddenly turned her face away from him, toward Saa. The clone caught the look of worry that crossed the Jedi's pale face and he couldn't find it in him to fault her for it. He felt the same way. Disapproval turned down the corners of his mouth and for just a moment, he caught Saa's eye above Hella's blue holoimage.

There was no mistaking the look of determination in the older man's face. The Mandalorian had made up his mind and Cody knew that even the most rational argument would be lost on Saa at this point. Thankfully, the old merc had no intention of showing up to this meeting unarmed or alone.

"Will this Lepi bounty hunter be present at the meeting?" Saa turned his attention back to Hella, as if he had just been staring off into space and not judging the reactions of his silent audience.

"I do not know," Hella reached up and scratched behind one of her ears; her tail curled left-to-right behind her as she pondered for a moment. "But...I would imagine that yes, she would be there. The two seem quite inseparable and they _are _tracking down the bounty together. That much was made quite clear to me."

"Tell them to expect _two_," Saa rubbed his jaw slowly; the glint in his eyes left no room for argument.

Hella sighed heavily as if she had been expecting this, too.

"_Dar'manda_?" she asked, almost wearily.

"Cody?" Saa calmly corrected her in the clever disguise of clarification. "Yes."

Hella's tail twitched back and forth - once, twice, three times - before she finally shrugged in grudging acceptance.

"You are _alor_," she acquiesced to her father's wishes; her ears flickered as she spoke and Cody wondered what the Togorian was silently communicating to her square-jawed parent. "I will pass on your wishes and remind my _vod_ of her place, should she question it."

"Then it's settled," Saa's eyes never left the holoprojector as he leaned slowly back into the couch. "Cody and I will meet with these bounty hunters in Creed'ee. We'll leave tomorrow morning."

Cody felt Tay stiffen immediately in his arms and he glanced down at her in concern. The edges of her mouth were curled into a distinct frown and as if sensing his attention, the pale-haired Jedi turned her face toward his arm. She curled her hand into a fist against his chest and nuzzled her cheek along the curve of his bicep; Cody didn't need words to know that she was upset at the thought of letting him leave again.

He had barely been home a standard month and now the events of the galaxy dictated his reluctant absence yet again. The clone sighed deeply and suddenly felt torn between what his heart wanted and what his duty demanded.

Was this the lot of every Mandalorian man, then? To train, to fight, to fall in love? How could an entire culture be built on this - this dual life of soldier and lover? Cody glanced up and caught Saa's somber eyes from across the room. The blue haze of the holoprojector was gone, as was Hella's ghostly image; only the firelight illuminated the silence among them. Saa's own gaze slipped away from Cody's tawny eyes and settled on Tay's unhappy form. Something softened along the edges of the older Mando's lips and after several long seconds, he looked back up into Cody's face.

"You two better get to bed," the merc shifted his attention to the_ buy'ce_ laying on the table in front of him; he rubbed his untrimmed chin as he added softly, "Long day tomorrow."

A soft sigh brushed against the fine hairs along the inside of Cody's arm, as Tay began to stir reluctantly in his lap. For a moment, the former commander's arms tightened around her, as he tried silently to convey his fervent wish that he never had to let go of her ever again. Tay slowly reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. The embrace was as soft as the brush that suddenly ghosted across the edges of his mind; a sense of understanding and acceptance followed that invisible mental touch. It was Cody's turn to sigh and his breath lightly tussled the fine hair that framed the top arch of her forehead.

"Go on, _cyar'ika_," the clone reached up behind his head and slowly unclasped her hands.

His fingers slid down the soft, silky skin of her forearms, as he guided Tay's hands back toward her own lap. The hitch in her breathing as his fingers smoothly caressed her was barely audible, but Cody caught it none the less. Tay's full lips softened and parted slightly as she sat up on his knees, and the sight of her quietly unfurling desire was almost all the excuse he needed to turn to Saa and tell him to find a different partner for his unexpected trip to an unknown city.

_Almost_. But, even Tay with her pliant body and sultry mouth wasn't reason enough to ignore his unanticipated responsibilities.

Cody felt the choice between her and his duties only too keenly. He helped Tay to her feet and couldn't recall a time when he been more torn.

She had finally invited him to her _bed_, with all of the implications and promises embodied by it. And in mere moments, Saa, Hella, and the hope of making contact with other clones – with _brothers_ – had dashed all plans Cody might have had for a quiet, intimate night with the woman he had come to love.

It wouldn't be right to share her bed for the first time, just to leave her alone in it come morning. For once, though Tay didn't seem to anticipate Cody's thoughts.

Her fingers found his and she tugged gently on them as she stood up. For a moment, Cody stared up at her, completely tongue-tied and utterly struck by her poise, her beauty, and her enticing temptation. But, then his eyes slipped past her and for a moment, all he could see was Saa's sideways _buy'ce_. The clone breathed deeply and his decision – however distasteful – was made.

"I think it's best I stay out here," Cody lifted her fingers to his lips and tried to soften the weight of his words with a kiss.

Tay's eyebrows knit together above the edge of her headband and her confusion was clear. Suddenly, Cody felt as if he'd eaten a handful of sand and his tongue couldn't move for the dryness in his mouth. In that moment, he didn't have the heart to pointedly deny her hopes of a night spent together.

"Let me talk to Saa," the clone finally found his voice again and tried awkwardly to stall the inevitable.

His answer, however transparent as it seemed to him, appeared to satisfy Tay. She let go of his hand without any further fuss and her forehead smoothed out from her previous frown. Cody wondered if she suspected something all the same, though, as she bent lightly at the waist and pressed a tender kiss against his upturned lips. The fleeting taste of her was nearly Cody's undoing and he half-hoped, half-feared that she would say something that would crumble what was left of his very shaky resolve.

But, Tay said nothing except a softly murmured "goodnight" to Saa as she passed him on her way toward the tall archway that separated the living room from the kitchen and from the bedroom hallway beyond. Cody watched with a mixture of conflicting emotions as her comely shape turned the corner of the archway and promptly slipped from view.

An uncomfortable lull stretched out between both men and Cody cleared his throat nervously as he finally dared to meet Saa's gaze. The older man had his arms crossed casually across his chest and the merc had all the look of one who had decided to make himself quite comfortable right where he was. Cody arched a curious eyebrow at Saa and the former bartender did the same right back at Cody. The sound of Saa's boot heels hitting the top of the small table in front of him punctuated the silence unexpectedly and Cody arched _both_ eyebrows as he watched the Mandalorian _alor_ nonchalantly crossed his legs at the ankle, right next to the smooth, curved side of his now-inactive _buy'ce_.

Saa broke through the verbal impasse first.

"Any particular reason you're still sittin' here with your thumb up your shebs?" Saa's eyebrow rose even higher as he pursed his lips into an expression of distinctive disapproval.

By now, Cody was more than familiar with his mentor's abrasive style, so the clone just tucked his chin toward his chest, sighed heavily, and ran uncertain fingers through his short-cut hair. There was silence for a moment longer, before he finally lifted his head and stubbornly refused to meet Saa's eyes.

"Just doesn't seem right, you know?" the younger man shrugged; somehow, words seemed insufficient for conveying the feelings at war within him.

"Since when did going to bed with your woman not seem '_right_'?" Saa's tone was slightly acidic; Cody squirmed uncomfortably in response, but otherwise kept his peace.

The moments slipped by between them, as neither man spoke. It was finally Saa's turn to sigh and Cody glanced nervously at the older Mandalorian, just in time to see him shake his head and slide his feet off of the table between them.

"Worried about not coming home, are ya'?" in his typical fashion, Saa cut straight to the chase.

Cody chewed on his bottom lip for a second or two, but it was futile to try and deny what he was feeling. Slowly, he nodded, and his eyes slid away from Saa's uncomfortable gaze. Suddenly, the length of his toenails was a more comforting conundrum to ponder, than the awkwardness of his feelings.

"Comes with the territory, _ad'ika_. You're a soldier – ya' outta' know that by now," the merc's voice started out stern, but softened the longer he talked. "If you worry about the rightness of doing something 'cuz you don't know if you'll be alive a month from now...well," he paused for effect. "You'll end up with a life you've never really lived."

Saa's words rang true, but Cody still struggled with the uncertainty that he felt. His mind slipped back to Jornada Del Muerto, and to Tay's tear-stained confession about Del and Ka'rta. Then he thought of the last three weeks, about the kisses they had shared, about the quiet intimacy that they had discovered between them.

Cody loved Tay – he was at least willing to admit that to himself, if not to anyone else at the current moment. She was dearer to him than anything else and he was more than willing to give her anything she wanted. And yet...

"Just doesn't seem right to be with her one night and be gone the next," he mumbled to the rug underneath his feet.

There was a long moment of profound silence, in which Cody studiously avoided looking over at Saa. Finally, though, he heard the older man move about on the couch and he risked a glance-over. The merc had pulled his feet up onto the couch and was in the process of making himself _more_ than comfortable in Cody's usual sleeping spot. For a second, Cody's eyes narrowed in a slightly indignant response to Saa's shameless occupation of territory the clone had claimed as his own since the very first night he had spent in the house.

"You're going to sleep there, aren't you?" Cody waved his hand disapprovingly at the couch.

Saa wasn't leaving him much choice.

The old Mando flashed him a toothy, impertinent grin in response; his assessment of the whole situation was appropriately pithy -

"If you're waitin' for the 'perfect time' to be with Tay, Cod_'ika_, you'll be waitin' 'til Hoth thaws."

* * *

><p>Cody stood on the hallway side of Tay's closed door and struggled with an almost overwhelming wave of conflicting emotions. Looking back, he could see how everything that had happened between them since their first meeting, had been leading them both slowly toward this moment. He wanted her – he knew that she wanted him.<p>

_Fierfek...she said just as much in the kitchen_, he stared hard at the door panel in the wall to his left and ran his fingers through his hair in sheer frustration. _She's invited me to bed with her twice tonight...she expects me to be there with her. Right now_._ Instead, here I am acting like an overly chivalrous knucklehead and over-thinking things_.

Was that it? Was he was over-thinking everything? Was he worrying too much about what "might" happen, instead of embracing what he knew for certain – that there was a woman who wanted him and who didn't seem to care that he'd be gone in the morning?

He just didn't want to be like Del...

_Just love her and leave her..._

The realization that he was comparing himself to Del yet _again_, brought Cody up short. He blinked owlishly in the dim hallway light for a second or two, before mentally kicking himself in the shebs.

_You're an idiot, Cody. Are you going to let this whole relationship be dictated by your own insecurities about a dead man?_

_Have you learned _anything_?_

A sound centered Cody's thoughts – Tay was humming quietly to herself as she moved about on the other side of the door. What precisely she was doing, he couldn't fathom, but she sounded as calm and collected as ever.

But, hadn't she turned stiff, when Saa had made the decision to take Cody with him? Hadn't she curled into the comfort of Cody's body, reluctant to let him go?

And that's when it hit him, like a blaster bolt to the chest.

Tay was afraid of losing him – even a socially-awkward clone like himself could figure that much out, without much mental strain. But, she didn't fear so deeply that she wasn't willing to show it. Nor did she fear so much, that she wasn't willing to overcome it.

Tay faced her fears head-on and her actions often defied any reasonable person's concept of "sense". After all, she had taken him under her wing even when Saa had scoffed at her kindness. She had nursed that same Mandalorian mercenary back to health and had stood by Cody through the very worst of his withdrawals. She had helped him find redemption and had shown him the way to absolution – there wasn't much that she allowed to rattle her sense of ever-present calm.

She was even willing to break down and cry in front of him. To kiss him even when she wasn't sure of what it was she wanted. She was willing to apologize for her mistakes; she was willing to let the possibility of love back into her heart, even when the man she saved reminded her of the past.

And, in facing her fears, she overcame them. Despite them all, she still loved, she still carried on, she still _hummed_, unperturbed by the "what ifs" and "maybes" of her choices.

_And haven't I done the same?_ Cody wondered, as his eyes wandered more thoughtfully toward the door panel for a second time._ Haven't I overcome the past, too?_

Cody's thoughts were so insular and focused, that he didn't notice that the door had opened from the other side until cool fingertips brushed lightly across his chest. Startled, the clone reached up and grabbed the hand that had touched him; his grip was a bit harder than he had intended. But, Instead of crying out in pain, Tay merely stood there in front of him and laughed softly as she lifted her other hand toward his face.

"Lost in your thoughts, _cyar'ika_?" her voice was a seductive purr.

"Um...a bit..." Cody felt the tips of his ears brighten – though, whether it was from her having caught him staring at the wall outside of her bedroom door, or from her standing so close to him in nothing more than his old tunic, he couldn't say.

At a loss for any other words, he brought her captured hand up to his lips and pressed a kiss against the underside of her soft wrist. Her pulse beat softly under his fingers and Cody – trained from birth to detect the slightest change in another's body – felt a flash of mingled pride and desire when the beat of her blood quickened under the subtle pressure of his mouth.

The former commander had also been trained to harness his inherent cautiousness and use it to his advantage. On the field, he had enjoyed a hard-won reputation as a deliberate tactician and a discreet out-of-the-box thinker who complimented his equally shrewd Jedi general. Cody held Tay's wrist close to his mouth for a moment longer and then nipped her almost thoughtfully, before letting go of her and cupping her small chin in both of his larger hands.

A corpse wouldn't have been able to miss the desire that practically radiated from Tay's every movement and every breath. But, if Cody had learned one thing in the course of his hard-won redemption, it was that he was a man of principles. He glanced past her, just for a second, and considered the bed that waited behind her. All he wanted was to lose himself in her and to think of nothing more than pleasuring her through the short night ahead of them.

But, Cody had always insisted on "doing things right." He wasn't about to change that.

"Are you sure you want this?" his attention slid back to Tay – he knew her well enough by now, to know that there was no way she had missed his intentional shift of focus.

"Are you worried about the morning?" the Jedi put her soft hands over his and answered his question with a question.

If he hadn't known her – and Jedi in general – so well, Cody would have been a bit exasperated by the seeming evasiveness of her response. But, trying to avoid her question would mean avoiding an answer to his, so he answered truthfully, if quietly.

"Yes," he thought for a moment, then added - "You deserve better."

"Better than a man I know will remain faithful to me in our time apart and come back to me as soon as he is able?" once again, she answered with a question; a slender eyebrow drifted up above the edge of her golden headband.

"Better than a man who never knows what danger tomorrow's going to bring," Cody countered stubbornly.

Her laughter surprised her. She stepped suddenly into him, her arms sliding around his neck and her fingers tangling through the trimmed edges of his hair. Before Cody could quiet figure out how to stop her, his arms were full of soft, willing, tempting curves. A smiling face was lifted up toward him and he realized – with a sense of grudging admiration – that he was losing whatever artificial moral high ground he had tried to build up.

For a moment, Tay's smile slipped, her expression replaced by one of sudden sobriety.

"Tell me, Cod'_ika" _her voice was as gentle as a caress. "What did you learn from Bellassa?"

The answer came to Cody without even thinking -

"I learned not to regret the past."

"Well, then..." full, alluring lips teasingly pressed themselves against the corner of Cody's mouth; without even thinking, his hands slowly drifted from Tay's chin and settled instead against her hips. "Don't you think that the first step in not regretting the past is to make the right decision in the present?"

"Well...yes..." Cody tried to lean away from her, but Tay merely tightened her grip around his neck.

Her lips curled upward, playful and sensuous. Cody was beginning to feel like a man under siege – strangely enough, he didn't mind it half as much as he would have thought.

"I'm trying to make the right decision right now," his pride wouldn't allow him _not_ to put up a fight, regardless of how feeble the attempt came across.

Light from the end of the hallway reflected off of Tay's headband and it winked at him. Her lips unfurled in a bright smile, which belied the seriousness of her words, or the wantonness of her body.

"Cod'_ika_, forgive me for pointing it out, but I think you're trying to make the less _immediately_ _painful_ decision. That doesn't necessarily make it the _right_ one."

Her body pressed more fully against him and Cody had to shift his feet in order to take her added weight. He ached for her and he knew that Tay didn't need her Jedi senses to know that. The clone teetered precariously on the edge of No Return – a part of him didn't want to risk the pain the morning would bring, but a larger part of him was finding it increasingly difficult to resist the impassioned woman in his arms.

_I had no idea Jedi had this in them..._ he couldn't help thinking as he shuddered deliciously beneath her nails; Tay was lightly trailing her fingertips up and down the length of his neck.

It was a maddening, arousing gesture. Cody gritted his teeth and tried one last time to untangle himself from her arms.

"You say that now..." he tried to take the reasonable, rational approach and reached up to pry Tay's arms from around his neck.

Her next words stopped him dead in his tracks -

"_Cyar'ika_, if you don't make wild, passionate love to me tonight, just because you're afraid of leaving me behind in the morning, then you're a -" Tay seemed to realize just what she was about to say and her words stopped with an abrupt click of her teeth.

Cody froze and his back stiffened in startled response to the unexpected heat in her words. He kept his hands wrapped around her wrists, which were still locked behind his neck, and he stared down at her, nonplussed.

He had only seen this frustrated side of Tay once and he knew well enough not to provoke it any further. His right eyebrow arched toward his hairline and something dangerous sparked to life inside of him.

"Then I'm a what?" his own voice dropped into a sultry, heavy purr.

Without warning, he let go of her wrists and wrapped his _own_ arms around her. He flattened one hand possessively against her lower back – now it was _his_ turn to press her suggestively against his body. Tay responded with a startled squeak and Cody smiled sharply.

He had a good idea of what she had been about to call him. A part of him – his masculine pride, mostly – reared up defensively in indignant response. But, a darker, edgier part of him responded as well, and Cody toyed with the idea of giving into it.

If it was her intent to provoke him into action...

"What were you going to call me?" he lowered his mouth and nibbled lightly on the curve of her ear; he felt her body melt against him with a sigh.

His nibble turned into a nip, when she didn't answer right away.

"Tay..." her name was a growl, a warning.

"N-nothing..." she squirmed uncomfortably in his embrace.

Her intention was probably to weasel out of his grasp, but the movement of her body against his tested the best of Cody's resolve. Without any preamble whatsoever, he bent his knees, moved his arms, and abruptly swept her off her feet. Pressed against his chest, she had no where else to go, and Cody relished the mixed expression of surprise and apprehension that left Tay looking unexpectedly alluring.

"Sheltay..." Cody warned roughly; he used her full name for appropriate affect. "I'm not moving until you tell me the truth."

There was a brief pause and then -

"What were you going to call me?"

"Um..." she nervously bit her lower lip and Cody abruptly sought the safer territory of the dark hallway ceiling above them. "H-_hut'uune_."

"Hmm," Cody pursed his lips in mock thoughtfulness, as he shifted his attention cautiously back to her.

He'd been around Saa enough times when the old merc had been ranting about Jango Fett, to know the meaning of the word. He also knew that he probably should feel insulted – after all, that was why Tay had stopped so suddenly before so rashly labeling him. She was still chewing on her lip, and the sight of her sudden uncertainty took the sting right out of her words.

Still...Cody wasn't ready just yet to let her off the hook for her rash insult.

"You think I'm a coward, then?" he kept his tone dark and heavy; the look of immediate contrition that spasmed across her face was almost enough to make him crush her against him in a hug.

_Almost_. Cody realized, with a pleasant sort of shock, that he rather enjoyed the sudden turn in dominance. He'd never been able to "play" with Tay before like this and the larger part of him that was still a commander in so many ways, was more than pleased with her submissive response.

She had been in control of him for so long – leading him, teaching him, comforting him, tempting him – that it was a satisfying turn of pace to be the one "in charge", so speak. In many ways, turning the tables on her piqued Cody's own desire for the inevitable, for the bed that waited in front of them.

Suddenly, he longed for his armor, for his weapons – the external indicators of his authority. He pondered the image that came to mind for just a moment, of being armored head to toe, and Tay sprawled just as temptingly as she was now in his yellow-marked arms. The thought made him grin – he had always liked the idea of the knight and damsel in distress, on those rare occasions when he had privately allowed his thoughts to be romantically inclined. Suddenly, Rex's interest in Commander Tano made so much more sense.

"Cody...?" Tay's small, uncertain voice centered his thoughts; she fumbled clumsy over her words as he turned his head down to consider her. "I didn't mean to...I mean...what I meant to say was..."

"You were right," Cody cut her off, his decision suddenly crystal clear.

Something in his tone seemed to have conveyed his intentions, because Tay suddenly relaxed and she reached tentatively for the curve of his neck. She slid her arms around him again and Cody shifted her weight against his chest as he prepared to make his move.

"I _am_ a coward..._if_ I was to send you back to bed without me," he began to march purposefully past the threshold of Tay's room, his destination firmly determined. "Lucky for the both of us, I'm _not_ a _hut'uune_..."

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><p>Cody considered the bedside chrono as the numbers on it blinked steadily closer toward morning. In little under a standard hour, the alarm would chime and the spell – such as it was – would be broken. He turned his head away from the chrono and considered the sleeping form curled up against him; Tay was facing him and her features were delicately etched in the pale pre-dawn light.<p>

He had never fallen asleep with a woman before – he'd never had the chance, not even with Jaria. There had been times when circumstances had dictated close sleeping arrangements with other clones, especially in places like Hoth, where the more body heat was available, the better it was for all concerned.

When he had been a small boy, on Kamino, he had been known to share his bunk in brotherly concern with a "younger" clone named Twitch, who suffered from nightmares that he had tried desperately to keep to himself. Cody had kept the secret of Twitch's nightmares as well, but Kaminoans had found out, somehow, some way. One day, Twitch had been sent to see one of the head geneticist, Orun Wa – Cody never saw his brother after that. That night, when Cody curled up on his bunk alone and struggled to understand why Twitch's nightmares had caused so much unnecessary concern, the young clone learned his first hard lesson in associating "reconditioning" with "never coming back." That was also the last time he had ever shared close personal space with another being _not_ covered head-to-toe in bolt-resistant armor.

He hadn't thought of Twitch in years and the memory made him a little uncomfortable, even now, if only for it's association with loss. But, as Cody watched Tay's face in the dusky bedroom light, he couldn't help but remember how peaceful Twitch's face had once been, when the nightmares weren't trying to take him over. It had been a long time, since Cody had been in a position to consider another's face at their most vulnerable and the intimacy of the moment touched him deeply.

Of course, the innocence of their sleeping faces was all that Twitch and Tay had in common in Cody's mind. One had been a brother – and a young one at that. Tay was not masculine in any manner imaginable and Cody couldn't think of any point in time when his feelings for her could have been even remotely considered sibling-like. The commander was perfectly fine with that – the sleeping Jedi had always been something _more_ to him, though it had taken over a year for Cody to figure out just what that "more" meant.

She was his lover, now. Cody reached out slowly and brushed his knuckles against her cheek. Her skin was soft and flushed warm with sleep. She didn't even stir at his touch and the clone silently envied her ability to sleep so soundly. He was so accustomed to sleeping alone, that he'd only been able to sleep in spurts; every time Tay shifted, he had woken up startled and alert. The inherent peacefulness of the bedroom and the physical satisfaction that he had enjoyed earlier with her, helped him drift off back to sleep fairly quickly each time, but it was still a little frustrating to be jarred awake every hour or so.

Cody's frustration, however, only lasted as long as it took him to remember where he was and to recognize the curves of Tay's body lying next to him. Then that sense of satisfaction would settle through his body and Cody would lean back on the pillows and watch his lover until sleep claimed him once again.

_Lover_. It was a strange, unfamiliar term – especially in relation to a Jedi. It didn't really matter much to Cody if she had been part of some sort of excommunicated faction – a Jedi was a Jedi, and the philosophical differences between "Main Order" and "Altisian" didn't really mean much to a simple clone soldier. Except, of course, for the fact that the Jedi laying next to him was doing so with complete confidence in the Force, uninhibited by rules that would have restricted her to a life without "attachments."

_"We need compassion in this galaxy, if we're to pull through these dark times. We need attachment, love, mercy, and - dare I say it – passion."_

In that pre-dawn calm, Cody remembered Obi-Wan's words – it felt like ages ago, when those words had been spoken inside of the _Ijaat, _on course to Bellassa. Back then, Cody hadn't quite grasped the full meaning of what Obi-Wan meant. But, now he thought that may he did.

The former commander considered Tay for a moment; his fingers had settled against her throat, curled between her neck and her shoulder. The slumbering woman had responded to the movement of his hand and had mumbled something in her sleep as she had turned her face up toward his. Cody thought about kissing her, but decided he didn't want to wake her up just yet. The reality of the morning – and his impending departure – would come soon enough.

In just a few scant hours, he would leave – for how long, even Saa wasn't certain. Cody wasn't even exactly sure how they were getting to Cree'dee; he just assumed that the Par'jain patriarch had the finer details figured out. Cody had no idea what was waiting for them half-way across Anobis; he had no idea what sort of place Cree'dee was. He had no idea who this mystery _vod_ was or what her connection was to Saa, or to his brothers. He had no way of knowing if this rogue crew could be found, or if even if they could be found before the Empire caught up with them.

Cody didn't even have any assurance that the Empire wouldn't catch up with _him_. The only reassurance he had, was what Tay had whispered to him hours earlier, after the passion between them had been sated.

"_I have a good feeling about this,"_ she had murmured, snuggled up against his chest, her body warm and sated.

"_About us?" _Cody had asked, barely willing to hope that that was what she had meant.

"_About us...about everything_," she had turned her face up toward him for a kiss – a lingering kiss that nearly put an end to any sort of coherent conversation.

"_You think everything will be okay? I mean...us...and...tomorrow?"_ once Cody had come up for air and collected his thoughts, he hadn't been able to bring himself to spell out the obvious.

Tay had known what he had meant. They were more in tune with each other now than they had ever been before. She had merely nodded and had pressed gently against Cody's mind with the Force – he had felt her reassurance and her unshakable faith in "_it'll all work out_."

Cody rolled over on his side and put his arm around Tay's waist. She stirred softly in her sleep, but didn't wake up; emboldened, her newly-made lover threw a leg over hers in an attempt to bring his body closer to hers and to find a more comfortable position. He laid his forehead against hers, closed his eyes, and tried to match his breathing to hers – slow, deep, and tranquil.

He would miss this – this comfort and serenity. Underneath it all ran a deep reservoir of passion, of desire, of possession. Cody wondered if this is what the Jedi Code meant after all – if serenity meant the simple acceptance of love and fidelity at one's deepest spiritual level, to not just to a person or to a thing, but to one's self and to a grander cosmic scheme. The former soldier certainly didn't claim to understand the Force, but with Tay in his arms, he thought that maybe he had just the glimmer of enlightenment.

She had shown him the Force, in the midst of their passion, and heat, and raw desire. Tay had opened herself to him, fully, without any sense of embarrassment or reservation. Cody had never felt anything like it before in his life. He couldn't connect to the Force, couldn't use it, or shape it, or manipulate it, like she could. But, he could still _feel_ it. He could still recognize its existence. And the way she had opened him up to it had been blunt, direct, and startlingly intimate. He would never know what she knew, would never see what she "saw", but in those moments, when they had been seeking the satiation of their own desires, he had been able to feel the sense of her awareness inside of him.

She had _flowed_ into him, the sensation something like a full-body immersion into warm water. He had felt something underneath his skin, something that stirred and stroked, and tingled gently at the edge of every nerve. He had known instinctively that it was her – the sense of it had been pure, and light, and sweet. And the best that he had been able to make sense of it in his mind, was that it was like she was touching from the _inside_, with an invisible hand that stroked against his skin, aware of every part of him that brought him pleasure.

He had felt her in his mind, but she hadn't press against his private thoughts and hadn't pried. He had felt that sense of her nudging against his awareness, gently letting him know that she was there. Cody remembered balking, for just a second, but then he had welcomed her and had opened himself up to her full knowledge. He had showed her his darker places, his twisted thoughts, his hopes, his strength, his fears, his love, his pleasure. And he had felt something of hers, in return - a certain _knowing_ that from this moment on, she would always be _his_.

Now, hours later, as Cody thought back on what had happened between them, he realized that that inexplicable _knowing – _that sense, that invisible, intangible intimacy – was what it meant to love a Jedi and to be loved back in return.

In retrospect, it seemed so silly that he had balked so much at spending the night with her. Now, it seemed that both Saa and Tay had known something he hadn't, and Cody was rather glad that both had urged him past his inherent default toward self-preservation. Perhaps, when the chrono finally shattered the silence and the peace, he would leave on a fool's errand and never come back. Maybe the Empire would catch up with him and Saa. And it was entirely reasonable to suspect that maybe they were walking into a trap.

It wasn't so different, really, than when they had left for Tatooine. Once could never predict what the galaxy would throw at them, or what the Force had in store for the future. But, at least this time, Cody wouldn't have to leave wondering what he had left behind. This time, he wasn't leaving behind unfinished business. No matter what happened, he wouldn't regret what he had done – Tay and Saa had both been right, though they had never quite said what Cody now realized to be true.

When it came to the heart, one could never regret what was said and done in love.

One could only regret what _wasn't_ done.

Cody finally gave in to the urge to kiss Tay on the lips. His hands slipped underneath the sheets to roam suggestively over her body and he couldn't help a sense of masculine pride as she began to stir sleepily against him in response.

When the chrono finally rang, he would face the galaxy, the Empire, the Force, and his future...

And he would do so without a single regret.

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><p><strong>AN: **_Holy Manda! An update! Will wonders never cease...?_

_In all seriousness...I hope this update was well worth the wait. Some of you have realized that I've decided to knock down the rating on ATS: Redemption and Rebellion, as well as the overall rating of my profile. I've decided on a few things in the last couple of months...namely, that I would like to offer my writing to a wider range of readers and that I would like to breathe a little easier about the age of those who read my stuff. Also, I've decided that once ATS: Rebellion is done, I would like to present ATS in its entirety for publication on ForceNet's fanfiction section, which only allows a PG-13 rating or lower. Going back and editing the rating/content in ATS: Redemption was a bear and I'm still not 100% the editing flows as smoothly as it should. So, I decided to save myself the trouble of having to edit an entire manuscript a second time...so the rating on Rebellion has been lowered to T and will stay there for its entirety._

_Of course...some of you may miss the "juicy bits"...but I think I liked how this chapter came out. Cod_y _has really started to dictate himself as a cautious, thinking type. I'm a little afraid I made him too hesitant in this chapter...but even after reading over it three times, his voice still "feels" right. I think that given everything Cody's experienced since Order 66 and the nature of his relationship with Tay, it's more realistic to expect him to be a little more cautious than one would expect in pushing things to "the next level."_

_As I write Cody, I find myself curious - and a bit excited - to explore the personalities of other clones that will eventually make their appearance. I think Cody will distinguish himself as being one of the more meticulous - I also think that this is in keeping with his "style" as a commander, particularly in juxtaposition with Obi-Wan. Kenobi wasn't a brash, rash, or impulsive leader...and I think that would have reflected in Cody. I know I'm not the first fan to notice the correlations between Jedi general and clone commander... I think if you, Dear Reader, are looking for a fast-on-his-feet, wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am clone...you'll have to wait for Rex to appear. LOL He's DEFINITELY giving me the "act first, think later" vibe, as opposed to Cody's more introspective approach._

_Anyways...hope you all enjoyed the read. I'm trying my best to write an hour a day and so far, that seems to be helping me past a lot of my writer's block. Things will pick up fast in the next chapter (which I'm happy to say is already in production), so stay tuned! HUGE cliff-hanger coming up...!  
><em>

_Warm love and thanks to EVERYONE who reviewed the last two chapter - **natcat13, NoxUmbra, Kiana Tavers-Mereel, Jadedsnowtiger, TheFiresofHope, Divine Fighter, Librarian Girl, TheRedFredDeadDude, **and** EmboldenRose**. Even a professional author couldn't ask for a more dedicated, supportive, and loyal group of readers. Don't ever doubt that I don't keep this project going for each and every one of you!_

_In conclusion...if anyone would like to know what happened to my other...ahem...non-T rated stories...feel free to drop me a PM. A few of you have and I've responsed to each and every PM. So, if you ever have any questions or would like to know where something mysteriously disappeared to, just ask. ;-)_

_Love it? Like it? Hate it? Lemme know...!_


	4. Blackout 4

**Dedication: **_This chapter is hereby dedicated to **laloga**, author of the **Eye of the Storm** trilogy, **All Or Nothing**, and other fantastic fanfics (be sure to check her out, if you haven't done so already)! Because of events going on in my life, I would have abandoned this fanfic...here's a new chapter, because of her amazing revies of **ATS: Redemption**, her steady encouragement, and her gracious hospitality (the majority of this chapter was written on her couch). May this story be a continuing source of friendship and inspiration._

**Credit**: _I would recommend listening to the following songs/artists: **"The Bonnie Ship the Diamond**" by **The Corries**, **"Heart of the Ocean**" by **Gaelic Storm** and **"Winterborn (Subway To Sally Remix)"** by **The Cruxshadows**. These three songs have really helped me shape the personalities of the two characters that make their appearance at the end of this chapter. :) Lyrics from "The Bonnie Ship the Diamond" and "Heart of the Ocean" are featured in this chapter; the music also provides a large part of the "mood" that dominates the pub scene._

* * *

><p>"<em>Come down  Far below / We've been waiting to collect / What you've let go."_

"**Blackout"**

**Linkin Park**

* * *

><p>"C'mon you two lovebirds," Saa's impatient rap at the bedroom door had the desired effect of distracting Cody from stealing yet another kiss. "You've had all night for whatever nonsense you're up to."<p>

Tay's lips twisted against Cody's as she tried unsuccessfully not to laugh. The feel and sound of her giggling against his mouth prompted the clone to cup her chin in his hands and press his lips against hers. Her amusement gave way to a soft sigh of desire and if it weren't for another indignant pound against the door, he might have been tempted to push Tay back down on the bed for a third and thorough exploration of her body.

"Cod_'ika_...!" his name was a threat growled through the door.

"Why do I get blamed for being late?" Cody huffed theatrically and rolled his eyes toward the ceiling as he finally untangled himself from Tay's tempting arms.

He shot Tay a long, lingering look from head-to-toe that clearly conveyed his firm opinion that it was her, not him, that had contributed to the postponement of the inevitable. The impertinent Jedi just giggled, having felt – Cody was sure – his scorching, pointed gaze, or at least, having properly interrupted the intention of his sudden silence.

"Will you two -" Saa started to gripe again, but Cody cut him off by slamming his hand against the door panel.

The force he had used surprised him a bit – he hadn't meant to hit the open button quite so hard – but, then again, Tay had managed to work him up into a fine mood. And, if he was honest with himself, Cody was a bit exasperated with himself at how successfully she had managed – not once, but twice – to distract him from reality.

Saa took one look at him and arched an eloquent eyebrow; Cody flushed and fumbled as he suddenly remembered to finish buckling his belt.

"Having fun?" Saa slowly crossed his arms over his thin chest and his lips pursed together in a rather peculiar expression; it was almost as if he were trying _not_to laugh.

Cody noticed a bit belatedly, that Saa already had a dark blue chest plate strapped over his upper torso. There was armor of a matching color on his arms and his legs as well - all that was missing was Yln's distinctive _buy'ce_. A slight pang shot through the clone commander's conscience as he realized that, while he and Tay had been satisfying their urges, Saa had been preparing for their impending departure.

"We _were_," Cody admitted slowly as his dark eyes drifted up to meet Saa's piercing greens.

There was another moment of awkward silence, during which Tay slipped up behind Cody and wrapped her arms around his waist. Her fingers picked idly at the fabric of his tunic, but she behaved herself otherwise, thankfully. Cody wasn't sure if he could withstand another "distraction"; as it was, her breath was soft and warm against his arm and he was tempted to just close the door in Saa's face.

Had circumstances been different, he would have chosen to spend all day in bed...

"You better rescue me from this sex fiend, Saa," Tay suddenly stood on tiptoe and brushed her lips teasingly against Cody's rough cheek, as if she'd just been reading his thoughts. "Or you two will never get anywhere today."

The clone was absolutely staggered by her unexpected choice of words and he could feel his face flush a brilliant red under his dusky skin. The grin that suddenly lit up Saa's face only added insult to injury - torn between a sense of bemusement and masculine pride, Cody impulsively reached up and slapped the door controller for a second time.

The door slid shut soundly, but it only served to muffle Saa's laughter. Cody thought his ears would catch fire from the heat that suddenly flushed his face from neck to scalp.

"'_Sex fiend_'?" he whispered hotly, his eyebrows arched in mock-indignation toward his darker hairline as he turned his head to fix a stern gaze at his giggling lover. "_Really_, Tay?"

"You, sir, haven't been able to keep your hands off of me since last night!" she countered back with a laugh.

Her voice became a bit breathless, though, as Cody twisted his body around in her arms and grabbed her by her waist. The pale-haired Jedi uttered the most adorable little squeak as Cody turned her around and backed her firmly into the door.

"I'm not the only one with wandering hands," he tried to scowl at her as he grabbed her wrists and pinned them firmly up above her head.

Tay titled her face toward his; a fine flush was creeping up the gentle length of her neck and her full lips were parted in a perfect "o" of surprise. Cody leaned his body in toward hers and groaned at the soft contact of her curves against his more angular muscles. He bent his head to kiss her, but paused at the last moment to murmur suggestively - and a little more loudly than he intended - against her lips:

"I think if you're going to sling a name like that around, I better earn it first," her breath was warm and Cody didn't care that they were making Saa wait. "Let me show you 'sex fiend'..."

"I think I'll be in the kitchen, while you do that," Saa's voice cut briskly through the door and Cody's fog of desire.

The amorous clone could only thump his forehead against the cool dureplast door with a groan of deepest humiliation.

"I guess I better get going, huh?" he mumbled toward the door.

There wasn't any part of him - emotionally, mentally, or physically - that had any desire to leave his current location. Tay was a haven, in all senses of the word, and Cody had grown comfortable in her companionship over the last three weeks. He had savored every moment of their gradual build-up to the night before, he had _certainly_enjoyed the evening spent in her bed, and he had treasured the exquisite sense of "belonging" that he had felt waking up beside her. It was all so much to take in and all of it now seemed to have happened too quickly.

He sighed, his chest rising and falling heavily against hers; Cody held his breath experimentally for just a moment and felt her heart beating against his through the thin fabric of their clothes. The clone squeezed his eyes shut and tried to capture the moment as best he could - the soft silence, the feel of her breath against his neck, the warmth of her body against his. He let go of Tay's wrists, threaded his fingers between hers, and let them fall to her side against the door.

"You'd better go, _Cyanamid_," Tay's gentle voice solemnly urged the moment to pass.

Cody sighed again and he lifted his head to look down at her. He lingered a moment more, just to admire her beauty, her quiet strength. For a moment, he wished that he had the Force, if only so he could fathom what she was feeling beneath her seemingly inextinguishable serenity. He was starting to suspect that that serene exterior was just Tay's own Jedi-trained "default" response to those things over which she had no control.

Her serenity was really no different than his own blunt predisposition toward decisive action in moments of crisis. She turned passive - he turned active. Though, for once, it seemed that even he lingered, in a futile attempt to hold onto the fleeting tranquility that surrounded them.

"I don't want to," he admitted softly - so softly, in fact, that he thought at first she hadn't heard him.

But, he should have known that the ears of a blind woman were as sharp as any Togorian's. Tay merely stayed silent a moment or two, as if thinking over her response. Then, she lifted her face and their lips met in a slow, tender kiss. Passion stirred lazily in Cody's blood and it was hard for him not to give it full reign.

"Saa's waiting," was all she said, her words as hushed as the wings of a Koros butterfly.

It seemed that no matter where his choices led him, Cody could never quite seem to escape that one thing for which he had been born -

"_Duty calls_."

And he could do naught, but answer.

* * *

><p>After a filling breakfast, Saa and Cody made quick work of all final preparations. There wasn't that much to do, as it turned out - Saa had packed two saddlebag-type canvas kits, before coming back to check up on Tay and Cody's progress in making it out of bed. All that was really left was for Cody to strap himself into his armor - in the weeks since returning from Bellassa, he had settled on an appropriate color scheme and had repainted all of the mismatched bits of armor that he had salvaged from the <em>Ijaa<em>'s cargo hold.

He had painted the main pieces green, for duty. Always duty - that one thing that had steered him so wrong at Order 66. That one thing that had steered him back to a better path when he had finally collided with Obi-Wan. His shoulder, forearm, and knee pieces were all painted gold for vengeance - in the memory of Chan-Dar and in memory of the vow he had made among those hallowed gravestones.

_"I'll kill him."_

Gold was for Appo. For the Temple. For Bellassa.

On his chest plate, Cody had painted the very markings he had once worn so proudly - three straight gold lines radiating up from his stomach toward his neck and shoulders. A matching gold stripe cut across his left thigh.

As the former commander finished strapping on his newly-painted armor, he felt something like his old pride settle back around his shoulders. The armor was now _his_ - _his_ colors, _his_ design. While painting his gold stripes, he had debated constantly with himself about whether or not he wanted to wear those markings again, or if he even _should_. But, now, as he stood in Tay's living room and looked himself over one last time, he was glad that he had made the choice to reclaim some small part of who he had once been.

It was true that now he was a changed man, a different man. But, _Commander_Cody would never fully fade, no matter how quickly he aged, no matter how removed he became from the galaxy at large.

Cody gave Saa a lop-sided grin as the old merc brushed past him in the archway between the kitchen and the living room. The two men considered each other for a moment, each in his own armor; when Saa returned his smile, Cody felt a sense of camaraderie that he hadn't felt since the last days of the Wars. What the clone felt in that moment for Saa was different than what he had once felt for his brothers - but not too terribly so. It was almost like what he still felt for Obi-Wan - a sense of companionship, respect, and deference - but it was more familiar than what he had shared with the Jedi general.

It was what Cody thought one might feel toward his father. The thought tempered his smile, but only because it came with a complex and sudden realization.

As much as he _already_ missed Tay...as much as he was loathe to leave her home and her bed...

Cody had found something of himself to be proud of; he had found a part of himself that he had once thought buried underneath the twin weights of depression and addiction. He had rediscovered the will of a warrior, redefined as something more than just a simple soldier, as something almost-Mandalorian. And he had found it through the guidance of the limp-legged, worldy-wise, steely-jawed merc who now shared a profound moment of silence with him.

Tay had given him back his heart, his soul. But, Saa had given him back his _pride_, his _dignity_. Tay had taught him how to love again, but Saa had shown him something more concrete to give her than just the shards of his broken past.

True, the lifestyle of a Mandalorian mercenary - and a fugitive to boot - meant that Cody would stand in Tay's archway like this many more times, with his armor on his back and his pack in his hand. It meant that he would probably spend more nights away from her bed than in it. It meant that as the years went by, they would spend more time talking over a long-distance holo-com than in person. It meant that he would always run the risk of never coming back home, or of bringing danger back to her sanctuary doorstep.

But, it also meant that he could stand proudly once again, on his own two feet, as his own man. It meant that he could provide for her. It meant that he could live what was left of his short life with both the love of a woman and with a final acceptance of who he had chosen to become.

And in the end, Cody knew it was worth it. Despite the dangers, and the fears, and the uncertain separations - it was all worth it to finally know who he was and to know where he belonged.

* * *

><p>When an hour passed after breakfast and no word had come from Hella, Cody began to wonder if he had missed some small detail the night before. He had expected her to show up with the <em>Ijaa<em>at any moment, since that was the only means of transportation he had become acquainted with, thanks to their earlier expeditions Tatooine and Belassa.

So, it was with some surprise that Cody went with Saa to answer a knock on the front door and found _Sazen_standing on the other side, with his eldest nephew and two speeder bikes in tow.

"You know I won't ever ask you what you're up to, Saa," the stalwart Zabrak softened the severity of his blunt introductory words with a brief smile.

He patted the seat of one bike as he glanced from Saa to Cody and then back again at the older merc. The farmer arched one eyebrow and his nephew watched with undisguised curiosity, but otherwise, Sazen stayed true to his word.

He didn't ask any awkward questions as he handed over the bikes to his two armored neighbors.

"But, do me a favor and take good care of these. My nephews are rather fond of them."

"I know," Saa responded gruffly - Cody could tell that he was touched by the Zabrak's generosity and by the depth of his trust. "I've caught them both cutting a little too close to Tay's nysillin fields a few times too many recently."

Sazen's nephew's face flushed a bright red as his uncle glanced over his shoulder and fixed him with a stern glare.

"Well, in that case, perhaps losing them for a while might teach them a good lesson in appreciating what they have. Having to walk around everywhere might help realign their perspective," Sazen paused and glanced back at Saa.

Curiosity lit up the farmer's face, though it was clear that he was trying to bridle the worst of it. His voice dropped a few octaves lower, until he was just shy of a whisper.

"Do you know when you'll be bringing them back, old friend?"

There was a tense moment, during which Saa chewed the inside of his lip and Cody tried not to make eye contact with either Sazen or his nephew.

"I'm afraid I can't say, Sazen," Saa finally responded quietly, honestly.

He reached out and grasped the Zabrak's burly shoulder, his grip firm, but friendly. The two males met each other's gazes straight-on and Cody was humbled by the trust shown by both toward the other.

"But you have my word we'll be back as soon as we can," Saa patted Sazen's shoulder once, twice, before pulling back and letting his hand fall to his side. "With everything in once piece."

"I will be quite upset if you don't," it was Sazen's turn to reach out and he grasped Saa's forearm firmly in farewell; Cody could tell by the look in the Zabrak's eyes that he wasn't talking about the speeder bikes.

The Zabrak was no fool and Cody knew that he had some idea of what Saa truly was - if he hadn't known before, the merc's dark blue armor silently gave away the truth. Sazen knew they were up to something dangerous and that they were leaving Tay behind only because something greater demanded their presence elsewhere. The farmer didn't pry, didn't ask - but it was clear that he wanted them both to come back safely. Speeder bikes be damned.

"Watch after Tay while we're gone?" Cody suddenly piped up - his only contribution to the conversation came on suddenly and surprised even him.

He stood his ground beside Saa, in the open doorway of Tay's little house, and looked Sazen full in the face. The Zabrak seemed surprised by the usually silent clone's sudden demand, but he nodded slowly and reached his hand out to grasp Cody's arm as well, as if to seal an unspoken pact.

"I would never think to do otherwise."

The two shook on it and that was that. Sazen collected his nephew, and both Cody and Saa watched for a moment as the two Zabraks walked slowly down the rutted country road toward their own home. After the two forms had disappeared around a bend in the road, the former clone commander turned his attention toward the speeder bikes.

"I guess we won't be borrowing the _Ijaa_ from Hella?"

"Cree'dee is an unruly city and full of brigands, bounty hunters, and mercenaries," Saa began by way of explanation - at first, Cody wasn't exactly sure what the state of the city had to do with borrowing two bikes instead of a fully functional ship. "The arrival of a ship the _Ijaa'_s size would draw unwanted attention to us. It would single us out as outsiders. Plus, Cree'dee is a border-town; we'd be expected to declare our cargo, our names, and our business. With the Empire snooping around, it's best we enter the city with as low of a profile as possible."

"Can we get there on speeder bikes, though?" Cody was still a bit dubious about Saa's choice of transportation.

Spring had arrived to Anobis in full swing, but Cree'dee was farther north, which meant it would colder than it was in Mydwyth and probably still coated by several inches of mush-mingled snow. Cody wasn't exactly keen on a cold ride - especially not if it meant riding straight into ice-cold rain (which was frequent this time of year) or an impromptu blizzard (which Tay had admitted wasn't uncommon in the more northern regions).

"It'll double our travel time for sure. But as long as we get out of here in the hour, we should arrive just before sunset. Hella couldn't leave the capitol if she wanted to, anyway. She commed me this morning to tell me that the flight routes out of the city have been grounded indefinitely. And a blackout's being enforced as well. So, trying to sneak out at night is a no-go."

"A blackout?" Cody questioned this new piece of information with raised eyebrows; he wasn't exactly sure what the Imperialists hoped to accomplish by locking down an entire city's energy grid.

"That was my reaction," Saa noted Cody's expression and shrugged as he shut the front door behind them; the speeders could wait while they collected the rest of their things for the trip north. "Hella says it's a mandatory curfew, but the locals are calling it a 'blackout'. I suppose the Imps are trying to flush out any fugitives by controlling the streets at night? Who knows," he shrugged again as they meandered down the short hallway toward the kitchen.

"The Empire will do whatever it can to assert its authority," Cody felt the sour taste of experience in his words. "Locking down cities is a common enough tactic," he paused and then added, slowly. "Seen it done plenty of times before. Keeps the population cowed."

Saa snorted at that.

"Clearly, they've never dealt with Anobians before," the merc stepped aside to let the younger clone pass through into the kitchen. "We're a stubborn lot."

* * *

><p>Like before, their goodbyes were short. This time, though, the parting from Tay was a little sweeter - or, at least, a little less awkward. Cody kissed her thoroughly for several long minutes while Saa finished tying down their bags on the back of the bikes. He was determined that, this time, he wouldn't regret the manner in which he left and he gave Tay no reason to believe that he wouldn't strive to be back by her side as soon as he could manage.<p>

They were both a bit breathless once they finally stepped away from each other; Cody kept her face cupped in his hands, though, even though their lips and bodies had parted. He leaned his forehead against hers and sighed heavily.

"Be safe," he whispered with all of the conviction that he could muster; if she had had eyes, he would have held her gaze with as much intensity as he could manage.

"I'll do my best," Tay promised him softly. "Hella says she'll try to come by and check up on me, but she can't promise anything for sure right now. Even if she manages to find a way out of Korynth, she doesn't want to risk leading them here."

"Tell her she's smart, then," Cody lifted his head and kissed Tay gently on the forehead as he took a step away from her. "Sazen says he'll be by to check up on you."

"See? Then I'm in good hands," Tay tried to smile as his fingers fell away from her face; she reached out and grasped his hands before he could further the distance between them. "It's you I worry about, Cody."

"You've got a good feeling about all this, though," he reminded her gently.

For a moment, her smile wavered, but then she lifted her chin at his words and he could tell that she was doing her best to put on a brave front for him. The sight touched his heart in a way he had never quiet felt before - it was bittersweet and precious.

"You'll be bringing others back with you," the creases around her lips softened and he could tell that, for just a moment, she was connecting to the Force and seeing a possibility beyond what he himself could fathom.

Her smile was warm as she squeezed his hands and slowly let go of him. Her promise would echo in his ears in the days to come and lend courage to his heart.

"I'll be waiting..."

* * *

><p>The trip was cold, as Cody had grudgingly anticipated. Even the warm spring sun rising higher toward the apex of the sky wasn't enough to cut the chill of the wind that whipped against his face. That wind only grew frostier as the two men traveled steadily north; Saa set a grueling pace and even the tinge of a lingering winter didn't slow him down as they pressed onward toward Cree'dee. By the time the sun slipped toward the horizon, Cody's cheeks felt like they had been whipped raw. He also couldn't feel his nose, or his fingers, and as the lights of the steadily nearing city began to eclipse the dying sunlight, he wasn't so sure that he'd be able to get off of the bike.<p>

The two had traveled for the better part of a day and they had only spared themselves three fifteen-minute breaks. Once to eat some sandwiches and cold fruit that Tay had packed for them; twice to relieve themselves, and to "walk it out" before locking their knees and shoulders back into the half-bent position on the speeder bikes. Traveling in the _Ijaa_would have been more comfortable and it would have made the journey far more pleasant. But, when Cody could finally make out the detail of Cree'dee's outlying buildings, he suddenly realized the wisdom of Saa's choices.

It was a seedy town, nestled into the foothills of an impressive mountain range that dominated the twilight skyline. It had the feel of some of the spacer ports Cody had visited during his time in the GAR and the Imperial military - but as they approached the outskirts, he realized that Cree'dee _proper_ was not built to accommodate much in the way of air travel. There appeared to be a small docking area on their side of the city limits, but the largest hull he glimpsed was a small agricultural freighter at best. The _Ijaa_ would have stood out - especially since Hella kept the ship in pristine condition and _everything_about Cree'dee screamed "run-down" and "forgotten."

As towns went, it covered a lot of ground - but as they decreased their speed and cautiously negotiated their way through what was best described as a shanty town along the outskirts, Cody noted that the only truly built-up and maintained part of the town was toward its busy center. Old warehouse-like buildings, abandoned hovels, decrepit lean-to's, and cobbled huts dominated the architecture of most of outlying Cree'dee. The streets were narrow lanes of churned up, half-frozen dirt and every eye that turned toward them was wary at best and hateful at worst.

The cold set into Cody's bones for good, as they drifted slowly through the pedestrian traffic. As they traveled closer toward the town's center, the buildings became more established, though they were still marked with graffiti, wear, and age. Cody noticed more and more shops and the looks that were tossed their way became more curious and a little less hostile. There was an air of edginess about the small city, though - the natives looked restless and skittish.

His soldier's senses screamed at high alert, even though the locals kept their distance. Yet again, Cody thanked the powers that be for the anonymity of a helmet and the inherent intimidation factor of full-body armor.

Saa had insisted that he wear Yln's _buy'ce_, even though the red and gray was out of place with the repainted green-and-gold armor. The older merc had suited up in his Miralukan disguise and they were once again "Jaos Kel" and "Fallon Marr". Cody was - as always - thankful for the disguise. It hid his own nervousness and hyper-vigilance as he kept a wary eye on _all_angles thanks to his built-in HUD, and his armor seemed to keep some of the more bold types from looking at them too seriously.

Saa had mentioned that Cree'dee had its fair share of Mandalorians and as they cruised into the most populated - and "respectful" - sections of the inner city, Cody began to notice other armor besides their own. He could tell by shifts in posture, in the subtle movements of hands toward hips and the wary tilts of helmeted heads, that their passing was duly noted. But, no one made a move toward them and the potential for any sort of trouble passed them by.

It was exactly as Saa had said. From the back of a speeder bike, they were just any other Mandalorian to the non-Mando population. To the local _vod_they were definitely "new", but their arrival was inconspicuous - and that seemed to be enough to keep any forceful expressions of curiosity at bay.

Just when Cody began to wonder how much longer Saa was going to meander through the streets, the older merc finally slowed to a stop in front of a well-lit and surprisingly reputable-looking establishment. According to its blinking, glowing street sign, the place offered food and the smell of something savor and fried wafted across the sidewalk toward them. The clone's stomach growled hopefully - it had been quite some time since those homemade sandwiches and Cody was used to eating a small meal every couple of hours. His high metabolism forced him to forage constantly for food and skipping meals never went over well...

"Will the bikes be fine out here?" Cody continued to sit on his speeder, though, as he watched Saa climb stiffly off of his.

The former commander rolled his shoulders slowly underneath the comfortable weight of his armor. His back and legs were stiff; he hoped a hot meal, a climate-controlled climate, and some good stretching would spare him the worst of the pain that was sure to set in by morning. Even sitting, Cody's knees bluntly reminded him that he wasn't getting any younger.

"For where we are in the city, they'll be safe enough, I wager. They're not the only vehicles parked here along the street, so that says something," Saa answered back through his subcutaneous link, which was connected to the comm system in Cody's helmet. "In any event, we need something hot in our bellies and I don't know about you, but my old joints aren't going to hold up much longer in this cold."

Cody just nodded slowly and took a quick scan of their surroundings as he slowly eased himself off of the bike. He was stiff - achingly so - but his dismount wasn't as rough as he had feared. His left knee popped and something in his lower back twinged as he pulled his stretched his shoulders. But, other than that, he felt okay; the hope of hot food certainly motivated the _rest_of his body to cooperate.

He took a moment to stretch and ignored the curious glances he received from passerbys. As he arched his back and pulled his arms over his chest to ease some of the stiffness between his shoulder blades, a flash of white caught his eye. Cody watched with idle interest, as an armored figure ducked into an alleyway across the street.

"This part of town certainly has a strong Mandalorian presence, doesn't it?" he commented to Saa as they both finally turned to enter the restaurant behind them.

"Strong enough. This _is_ a border town - business for bounty hunters and mercenaries is good around here," Saa watched as the establishment door slid open; he stood aside to let Cody enter first.

"What _is _the deal with Anobis, anyway?" Cody wondered as he took the lead; he paused long enough to take stock of his surroundings.

The interior was dimly lit and smoky, but not grungy as he would have expected from past experiences with that combination. The lower half of the walls were made from some sort of dark, age-polished wood; the upper half of the wall was painted a slightly brighter green. Booths lined the wall along the perimeter of the large, rectangular room; to Cody's left was a full-length bar, built in the same dark wood as the walls and the booths. Circular tables dotted the wider space between the booths and the bar; the establishment seemed to consist of that one room, though a flight of stairs tucked away in the corner by the bar suggested a second story up above.

The place appeared to be doing a brisk business; the bar was full and most of the tables were occupied. The booths were tall enough that Cody couldn't see where patrons were sitting, but he spotted the odd foot, or shoulder, or arm, or leg peeking out here and there around the edge of the tall wooden divisions. The floor was wooden as well and if he focused past the noisy murmur of the room, he could hear the sound of his armored boots thump against the scuffed surface beneath them.

If Saa had heard his question over the sound of the other patrons, he made no indication. Instead, the mercenary tapped Cody's armored shoulder and nodded his head toward a booth at the far end of the room. The two threaded their way around tables and chairs; the occasional eye lifted to follow their progress, but no one seemed to take any particular interest in them. Most of the clientèle appeared to be human and of that, nearly all of them were dressed in varying interpretations of _beskar'gam_. Those patrons who weren't Mandalorian, looked to be the type one could find in nearly any galactic cantina - mercs, bounty hunters, smugglers, pazzak players, entertainers, and travelers.

One thing Cody _did_ notice, though, was that while most everyone else in the place had the _air_ of one's average cantina patron, they didn't necessarily _look _the part. The bar-and-restaurant was a little shabby, but well-kept otherwise; its patrons looked about the same. It was an oddly reputable place and the atmosphere was open, easy, and comfortable.

"Where you askin' what was up with this place?" Saa wondered as the two slid into a booth across from each other.

"No...not exactly," Cody shook his head; his attention was on the plate of food sitting at a nearby table and the smell of a glorious heap of fried _something _was distracting. "But...now that you mention it," he reached up and popped the seal on his helmet. "Yeah...what is this place?"

"An Alderaanian pub," Saa's eyes ghosted warily over their immediate surroundings, but when no one seemed to pay them any mind, he nodded his head ever so slightly.

Cody took his cue that it was okay to remove his helmet. While he was comfortable enough with it, he still sighed a bit in relief as he pulled it off and set it to the side of the table by his left forearm, up against the wooden half of the wall. He didn't think he'd have been able to bear the torture of sitting so close to food and not being able to order or eat any of it, because it wasn't a safe enough environment in which to take off his helmet. A large part of him was relieved and secretly delighted, when a waitress took note of his uncovered face and hurried over with a datapad in hand.

The young clone had no idea what to order, but Saa seemed to have a comfortable familiarity with Alderaanian pubs. The waitress had brought them water and Cody sipped gratefully at it while his companion ordered for the two of them. After she left, they sat in silence for a few minutes, each wrapped up in his own thoughts. For his own part, Cody was thankful for the warm atmosphere and the sense of security he got from the place - even as full as it was, there was something about it that curbed his tendency to keep one eye warily fixed over Saa's shoulder.

Saa, too, seemed relaxed, though he seemed interested in something behind Cody. They were seated next to a corner booth, which was built to curve against the angle of the two walls. The older merc also sat closer to the opening of his seat than Cody did his, so Saa was able to lean slightly to the side and look around the edge of the booth. At first, the clone resisted the urge to look himself, but then he heard a few notes of music strummed lightly on some kind of string instrument; it wasn't loud enough to compete against the noise from the bar to their right, but it was just enough to stand out from the aural ambiance in general.

Curious, Cody leaned forward against the table and glanced behind him as best as he could without drawing too much attention to himself. All he saw was a boot - a single boot - propped up on the edge of the table behind him. He shifted back into his seat after a second or two and frowned slightly at Saa.

"A boot?" was all he could think to say; a sudden, quirky smirk flashed across Saa's lips.

"It's a very interesting boot," the merc shrugged and leaned his elbows on the table.

His smirk turned a bit mysterious - as if he knew something Cody didn't - but by now, the former commander had seen that look on Saa's face enough times before to know that it would do him no good to press the issue. So, instead, Cody glanced around the pub again and expressed his surprise that no one seemed to be paying them any mind - not even surreptitiously.

"That's the nice thing about Alderaanians," Saa took a sip of his water and shifted in his seat so that he could no longer be distracted by the boot behind Cody's booth. "They keep to themselves and expect the same of everyone else. Very live-and-let-live attitude. Kinda' nice to find that in the middle of a place like Cree'dee."

"Kinda' unexpected, though," Cody kept scanning the room every few minutes - it was too deeply ingrained a habit to resist, no matter how comfortable the surroundings may have felt. "How'd you know about this place?"

"I didn't," his words were accompanied by a slow, casual shrug. "I've been here to Cree'dee once or twice before, on business," he paused a moment to sip his water and his attention focused on Cody with a brief and roguish smile. "But, I was always just passing through. Never really explored the inner city - kept to myself and my ship, I have to admit."

"So...why are we here?" Cody's own eyes traveled toward the plate of nearby food, which was being throughly enjoyed by what looked to be a Mandalorian Ferroan. "Is this where we're supposed to meet up with our...ah..._vod_?"

Saa just nodded. Cody assumed by his body language, that the merc's attention had slipped back past him toward the source of the music that was still strumming along quietly behind him. Saa's disguise was not as easy to abandon in public, so he still had his eyes covered by the thick dark glass of his headband.

Their waitress reappeared a few seconds later with two large plates piled high with food that looked vaguely familiar to the ravenous clone. She set the plates down in front of them, flashed Cody a particularly winsome smile, and asked if she could refill his glass of water.

Cody, who was more interested in figuring out what was on his plate than anything else, just nodded. and was taken by surprise when Saa started chuckling. The young brunette waitress had moved away - Cody assumed to find a pitcher of water to fill up his glass - and the clone glanced toward her and the bar, in vain hopes of finding out what it was Saa found so amusing. When nothing unusual caught his eye, he frowned and shot his traveling companion a look of sheer confusion.

"What's so funny?" Cody picked up his fork and dug it into the mound of fluffy mashed vegetable on the left side of his plate.

Saa puzzled him - and often, at that - but the clone saw no reason why he had to refrain from eating while trying to get to the bottom of his companion's random amusement. When it came to food, Cody was a consummate multi-tasker - most anything could be done _while_ eating. It was simply a matter of having one's priorities straight - _food_ first, everything else second.

"You really don't know a thing about females, do you?"

"Huh?" Cody glanced up from his plate and frowned.

He paused, fork half-way to his mouth, but only for a moment. Remembering that his priority was food and only then figuring out what made Saa tick, Cody closed the gap quickly between him and his fork.

"She's trying to flirt with you," Saa jerked his chin toward the young waitress who was now starting to make her way back with a pitcher of water.

"What?" a look of panic chased itself briefly across Cody's face and he eyed the waitress a little more warily as she approached their table.

She was a pretty little thing, if young and distinctly _not_-Tay. Her spattering of freckles stretching across her nose and cheeks seemed to accentuate her youthfulness. And even Cody could pick out the shy innocence of her spirit expressed so clearly in her dark, expressive eyes. He could feel the tip of his ears flush a little darker as she paused uncertainly at his side; he mutely handed her his glass to be refilled and glanced at Saa as if for help.

Saa, on the other hand, had decided that moment was the perfect opportunity to devote _his_ sole attention to his food. That left Cody completely on his own and the clone could only stammer his thanks as she set his glass back down on the table.

"Let me know if there's anything else I can do for you," her smile was almost bashful, as she reached up to tuck a stray lock of dark hair behind her ear.

"Uh..." Cody could only squirm, as he tried to find some way to _not_ look her in the eye - or at her bosom, or even in her general direction.

"Thank you," Saa piped up; Cody shot him a glare mingled with relief and indignation. "We'll be sure to do so."

There was an undercurrent of amusement in the older merc's voice that Cody didn't miss. The clone's expression turned sour as the waitress flashed them both one more parting smile and moved away to wait on other patrons.

"Was that _really_ necessary?" he hissed at Saa over the breadth of their narrow table.

"You're a good-looking man, _ad'ika_," the older male seemed completely unmoved by Cody's consternation. "Learning to flirt with a female can be a valuable social skill. For one thing, it makes you stand out less. Manda knows I've had my sorry _shebs_ saved more often by females than by other males. Learning to talk to a female can take you a long way - this isn't just a male's galaxy," Saa punctuated his words with a particularly forceful wave of his fork in Cody's direction.

"But...flirting?" Cody shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"Flirting is an art. And it'll win you more friends than enemies. Nothing will lower a female's defenses faster than giving her a few moments of your time."

"But...Tay...!" Cody sputtered - a part of him couldn't believe that they were sitting in an unknown bar, in an unknown city, waiting on an unknown contact, and Saa was lecturing him on _flirting_.

"You can flirt with a woman without having - or even_ wanting_ - to take her to bed," Saa snorted as he picked up his knife and began to cut into a particularly tasty looking sausage.

"Is there a reason we're having this conversation?" Cody was getting uncomfortable and getting uncomfortable was distracting him from his food; he drew the line right there.

"Oh, it'll all make sense eventually, I'm sure," Saa was irritatingly breezy as he stuck a forkful of sausage into his mouth; he waved his now-empty fork at Cody one last time. "Just keep what I said in mind. "It's always better to make a friend first, before an enemy. A little kindness never goes forgotten."

Cody just stared at him for a moment and then shrugged. He really didn't understand Saa some times, but he had learned to just let those moments pass and not ask too many questions.

The clone turned his attention back to his plate and considered it for a moment.

"What _is _this, anyway?" he wondered, as he picked up his fork again and poked thoughtfully at one of his own sausages.

"An Alderaanian dish," Saa shrugged; Cody gave him another dour look.

"I could have figured that out on my own, thanks."

"It's popular in the northern regions, if memory serves me right," Saa just chuckled and explained a little more as he cut another piece of sausage and moved it around quickly in a pool of dark brown sauce. "Fried pork sausages and mashed potatoes, all smothered in a Lakir mushroom gravy. Good stuff," his teeth flashed white in a smile, before taking another bite. "Sticks to your ribs."

"S'not too different from some of the stuff they used to serve in the galley," Cody mumbled around a mouthful of his own, as his thoughts wandered briefly toward his days on the _Resolute_.

It seemed like all of the food they'd been served in orbit had been fried, mashed, or smothered in unidentifiable gravies of one sort or another. He had to admit, though...this combination of mash, fried meat, and sauce was a lot more tasty than anything he'd ever encountered on board a naval vessel.

"So, what do you know of Alderaan?" Cody mused a few moments later.

He was slightly distracted by the music that still drifted along in bits and pieces behind him. When the music had first started, it had sounded like the individual behind them had been tuning his instrument - a few notes here, a pause, a few more notes on a different string. Now, though, it sounded like an actual song was being played; it had a certain repetitive rhythm to it and a twangy quality that kept catching his ear.

"Nothing much, really. I've never been there, believe it or not. I've picked up on a few things in my travels, though. Pubs like this one aren't as common as your average cantina, but you can find them here and there wherever there's a community of itinerant Alderaanians."

"'Pub'?" Cody turned the unfamiliar word over thoughtfully; he realized his foot was tapping slowly in time to the music behind him and he was finding it a little hard to concentrate on what Saa was saying.

"A bar, or a cantina, in other terms, I suppose," Saa, too, seemed to hear the music and a strange mischievousness crept into his expression. "It's uniquely Alderaanian, though - specifically, to the continent Lir Lakir, in the planet's north-western hemisphere."

A low voice threaded its way into the conversation - Cody realized that it came from behind them and he was a little surprised to discover that the identity behind the music was female. He couldn't pick out her words over the general ambiance, but the tone of her words was rich and smooth. His foot continued to tap underneath the table.

"There's a community of Alderaanians here on Anobis?" Cody's interest was beginning to attach itself to the discussion at hand and he was finding himself a little less distracted by the music behind him.

"Apparently, there's a small community here in Cree'dee," Saa shrugged and pushed his empty plate away from him, so he could rest his elbows and forearms on top of the weathered table. "Unusual, I'll admit. But that's par for the course here on Anobis. You never know what you'll find, or where."

"What's up with Anobis?" Cody remembered his question from earlier and took the opportunity to ask.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean...why does it seem to have such a random population? And why so many Mandalorians?"

"Well, the Mandalorians are part of the reason we _have _such a random population. Many of the Mando'ad who settle here, bring their indigenous cultures with them. Like I've told you before, becoming a Mandalorian does _not _mean one must abandon the culture he or she came from originally. Most do...but not all. Some aspect of where you've come from creeps in, especially in food and music."

"Is that an Alderaanian song, then?" Cody glanced over his shoulder at the wooden division at his back and then back at Saa.

"Hmm," the older merc nodded and the edges of his lips quirked up in something of a smile. "A sea shanty if I remember correctly. I've heard it once or twice before."

Cody listened for a moment and he started to pick out some of the words being sung softly behind him -

"_The Diamond is a ship, my lads, for the Dayvys Strait she's bound,_  
><em>And the quay it is all garnished with bonny lasses 'round;<em>  
><em>Captain Tuum'su'un gives the order to sail the ocean wide,<em>  
><em>Where the sun it never sets, my lads, no darkness dims the sky...<em>"

"Catchy," the clone shrugged after a moment or two of eavesdropping.

He frowned for a moment, a memory tugging incessantly at the back of his mind.

"It sounds vaguely familiar..."

"Hmm," Saa's attention drifted lazy across the length of the pub, but Cody wasn't fooled.

"You know something," the clone's mouth turned down in a suspicious frown.

"I _suspect_ something. We'll see if I'm proven right," his companion just shrugged and flashed another maddening grin.

Cody rolled his eyes and sighed. When Saa made up his mind to be cryptic, there was nothing anyone could do to shed further light on the issue. When Saa was ready to spill what he knew, he would. And not a second sooner.

"So...Anobis," Cody leaned his back against the wooden division and reached across the table to fiddle with his half-empty water glass. "Why so many mercenaries?"

"Anobis has always been in the flux of civil war - at least, for as far back as I've ever been told," Saa relaxed his posture as well and the two settled in to enjoy a good conversation while they waited. "This whole planet is rich in fossil fuels, minerals, and precious metals. The settlements of the northern hemisphere discovered this and learned to build their economy on mining. Their geography lends itself well to this, since agriculture can't make much headway in such cold, mountainous terrain.

"The southern hemisphere is flatter and much warmer. Our soil is richer as well - all of this lends itself well to agriculture and husbandry. For generations, the south has fed the north and the north has fueled the south. Trouble started when the outside galaxy wanted to intervene - our southern farms hold no interest off-planet, since there are plenty of worlds available to provide agricultural gains for the galaxy as a whole. But, the northern mines attracted considerable interest economically from outside worlds; mainly, because we've been mining the mountains of the north for centuries and not a single mine has yet has run dry.

"Outside forces wanted to contract with the miners - and the north accepted pretty much all of those offers. Trade was established in the north and with trade came politics. Other races began to travel through our orbit and population booms in the cities drove a lot of native Anobians south. Most of those, though, had been miners for generations, so they tried to take their skills with them to the south. About four or five generations ago, some prospectors from up north discovered oil in the south. Our agricultural plains grow over a vast network of underground oil fields - the geological assumption is that Anobis went through an extensive ice age several millennium ago that killed off what ever native species existed at the time. Glaciers moved down from the mountains and carved out the plains, trapping fossils and other organic matter underneath. Centuries later," Saa paused and shrugged. "Oil."

"So, outside contracts wanted to dig for oil?" Cody grasped for the next logical step in the story.

Saa nodded.

"In many places in the southern hemisphere, they have. But every oil drill has been met with fierce resistance and in the case of my own native town, bloodshed," a dark shadow chased itself across Saa's face and for a moment, his eyes went distant. "But, oil equals money, which equals self-sufficiency for the north - something that they've always struggled with, because of harshness of the mountain climates. And as the north grows stronger, the south grows weaker. We've been self-sufficient for all this time, but the one thing we depend upon the north for is _trade_. Trade equals money, and without them both, our economy will collapse," Saa sighed and rubbed a hand across his goatee, his expression troubled. "The constant wars between our two hemispheres have brought famine and disease to some very major parts of the south. We can't recover from those without trade."

"What about the borderlands? Places like Cree'dee?" Cody looked away from Saa - it was distressing to catch such a raw glimpse into Saa's inner worries.

"Places like Cree'dee have popped up over the centuries as northerners have drifted south and southerners have drifted north. These are the no-man's lands - where the dispossessed gather and scrape together what they can. Most places die out and become ghost towns after a generation or two. Places like Cree'dee, though, have learned how to survive by building up along trade routes. Cree'dee is unique in having its own port, so it's become a stop between the hemispheres for farmers and miners who are still willing to do business with each other.

"Other border cities have survived by building up their manufacturing capabilities. Factories are becoming an important source of stabilization to both the north _and _the south, though the north has more to gain from them. The mines exist almost solely on manufactured labor - but the factories still rely on sentient strength. Many farmers have been lured into steady work at the factories, just to end their lives there in poverty and constant drudgery. Meanwhile, the northerners profit and build companies on the backs of barely compensated labor."

"Sounds grim," was all Cody could think to say.

He'd never had to think about how a planet fed itself, or about the internal politics of an indigenous people. This conversation with Saa was eye-opening, to say the least, and he glanced around the pub again, uncomfortably aware of its shabbiness. Now that he'd learned something more of the borderland economy, the clone was suddenly conscious of the outward wealth of the patrons around him - or, rather, the obvious lack thereof.

"It's the future of Anobis, if we're not careful," Saa scowled into his water glass and Cody could tell that he wished it was something a little stronger. "The arrival of the Empire in Korynth bodes ill not only for your own...concerns," he paused and glanced over at Cody for a moment. "But, for Anobis as a whole. Now that the Empire is here, there's a grave possibility that they may become aware of the potential of our mines. And the hopes of trade with a 'unified' galactic market would be too much of a temptation for corporations like the Anobis Mining Company."

Cody winced at the mention of his former employer. He remembered well his days working in the mines under Korynth, alongside other sentients and mining droids. It had never occurred to him to think past the drudgery of his day-to-day existence, but now he found himself wondering about his fellow miners. How many of them would never see the light of day, or the hope for a better tomorrow? The AMC had been notorious for its "employee incentives" - things like room, food, and board that came out of one's wages. Such incentives were just enough to keep its workers working, but without enough monetary compensation for those workers to ever hope for financial independence.

It had been a miserable existence - no better than the factory life that Saa described. Suddenly, Mydwyth seemed like a paradise - a haven of greater importance, and in greater danger, than Cody had ever imagined.

"We can't let the Empire stay here," Cody shook his head - the seeds of rebellion that had been slowly forming in his mind over the last several months, suddenly blossomed in brilliant clarity.

He looked across the table and met Saa's hidden gaze. The two men shared a moment of silent intent.

"This is bigger than us, isn't it? Than a handful of fugitives?" the crease between Cody's eyebrows furrowed as his mind began to race.

This was what he was born to do - to consider possible futures, theoretical permutations. His mind had long been shaped to consider strategy and tactics, even over the smallest things. As he turned over Saa's words and considered the scope of Anobis' history and economics, Cody realized anew that Order 66 had altered the futures of a million innocent lives. The crippling legacy of the Empire wouldn't be written just in the fate of Jedi and clones - it would be written in the fates of civilians like Sazen, like Saa.

"And what of the mercenaries? The Mandalorians?" Cody recalled a third faction which they hadn't yet discussed; he glanced at the table closest to them, at the Ferroan's black-and-blue _beskar'gam_.

"The criminal underworld will thrive at it always has. Bounty hunters will pray on the weak, and places like Cree'dee will continue to encourage the presence of slavers and thieves. As for the Mandalorians? I see us losing our honor," Saa scowled and shook his head, as if to steady himself against a grim reality. "We have traditionally made our wages by selling our strength and skills to those with the highest amount of credits. If the highest bidder becomes Imperial bought in turn, well..."

He left his thought unspoken, but Cody knew where he was going. If the Anobian Mandalorians took Imperial-funded bounties in order to live their own lives as they always had, then they would be selling out to the enemy. His lip curled up in disgust.

"The Mandalorians would become lackeys of the Empire."

"By extension, yes," Saa, too, looked like he had just swallowed something particularly distasteful.

"How many of the Mandalorians on Anobis are Clan Par'jain?" Cody suddenly made a leap in logic and he lifted an eyebrow in alarm.

"Most," Saa sighed; he suddenly seemed old and weary, as he leaned back and turned his face up toward the dark wooden ceiling above them. "Anobis is also home to members of clans Kelborn, Ward, and Tervho. But, most are our own _aliit_."

"So, the Empire could affect the future honor of the clan?" Cody's voice was suddenly as soft as the music that still played behind them.

The song had turned pensive and thoughtful; whoever was playing, was playing a little louder now. The haunting melody that drifted along in the background gave the conversation a sudden heart-breaking quality. A pall seemed to have fallen between Cody and Saa; something like a chill crept up Cody's spine as a female's voice gently filled the silence between them.

"_Now I'm bound for the heart of the ocean;_  
><em>I'm riding the sea in my soul.<em>  
><em>In the dark and the deep,<em>  
><em>She will rock me to sleep,<em>  
><em>Down below, where the black waters roll..."<em>

"The Empire could destroy us, split us apart. Crush us, enslave us," Saa looked very, very old, as if all the weight of his leadership was suddenly bearing down upon him. "Under my leadership, and Hella's, I would like to think that us Par'jains would continue to hold our honor dear and stand up against the tyranny that threatens us. But with enough pressure, even good men fail. On our own?" the old _alor _shook his head slowly. "I think the clan would shatter. We're too small, too isolated. Our numbers too thinned."

He groaned and rubbed his forehead; Cody could see the lines of worry deepen around his mouth.

"The fragility of Clan Par'jain is something that I inherited from my _buir_. Togorians take a long time to mate and when they do, their litters are small. A female might give birth once or twice in the course of her life. But, they make up the majority of our numbers, since the clan was originally formed _in_Togoria. Yln saw where the unintentional selectivity of the clan was taking it and tried to alter the course by being more proactive in adopting me and other non-Togorians. I, too, have tried to do the same."

A shocking vulnerability opened Saa's face and Cody watched uncomfortably as he saw his mentor's heart bared. The moment was echoed in the solemn melody behind them and it was humbling in its intensity. Never before had Cody seen another warrior set aside his defenses so completely.

"I had so many sons, Cody. So many. I thought, once, that Clan Par'jain would grow the hope of new blood - strong, brave Mandalorian blood that had merely strayed because of circumstances a million men couldn't control."

Cody stilled, his focus riveted, as he realized that Saa was talking about the clones that he had adopted - about _his _own brothers. And something else stirred in his heart - a sudden, unspoken hope.

"I saw the darkness coming and I thought we could stand against it like a thousand suns - like heroes in Mal's old Shistavanen legends."

Cody was suddenly unable to look his mentor in the face and he turned his gaze down toward the scarred wood underneath his own scarred hands.

"But, when I think of Del and Ka'rta..." Saa's voice trailed off for a moment and he cleared his throat before speaking again.

A female's voice whispered in the momentary lull -

"_I can still hear your voice on the trade winds_.  
><em>I can still taste your tears on the foam.<em>  
><em>But the lure of the tide that I'm feeling inside,<em>  
><em>Will not rest till my heart finds its home<em>."

"Even I lose hope, at times, Cod_'ika_. I look at what stands before us, I wonder if the fate of this galaxy can ever be saved. The Empire threatens to black every bit of hope left, it seems. I fear for the future of Anobis, of Clan Par'jain - I fear we're heading toward a darkness that we as mere mortal sentients can never reverse."

Cody finally looked back at Saa and for a long moment, neither man spoke. Listening to Saa share his fears so openly was intensely awkward, but Cody was touched by the gesture all the same. They had come a long way, him and Saa, and the clone recognized the trust it took to voice such fears to him.

So, when Cody finally spoke, it was to echo the last man who had shared such trust with him.

"There's still hope in the galaxy," Cody insisted earnestly, softly.

The side of Saa's mouth quirked up and some of the sadness seemed to lift in the face of a better memory.

"Because Obi-Wan says so?"

Cody thought about that for a moment, before shaking his head resolutely.

"_Now my heart is the heart of the ocean_  
><em>There are storms from the sea in my soul<em>  
><em>I'm restless and deep<em>  
><em>And before I can sleep<em>  
><em>I must go... where the black waters roll..<em>."

"No," he said firmly over the sound of the music and the pub. "Because _I _say so."

A smile brightened Saa's face. The merc leaned forward across the table, as he reached out to grasp Cody's forearm in a strong grip.

In that exact moment, a thunderous explosion rocked the ground beneath them. Glasses fell from the bar, crashing brightly against the wooden floor and Cody felt something wet spill into his lap as his own drink toppled over.

Voices shouted, chairs scraped and fell as half a dozen Mandalorians lept to their feet and reached for their weapons. Cody and Saa looked once at each other; without a word, Cody reached for his helmet and Saa for his blaster. The door to the pub slid open and Cody had just enough time to process a figure standing against the gathering darkness in hauntingly familiar armor.

In white armor. _Clone_ armor. With two pauldrons, a kama, and blue markings that Cody could never - _would_ never - forget.

"Traitor!" a voice identical to his own cut sharply through the pandemonium that was beginning to build inside the pub.

Another explosion - closer, this time - rocked the building. At the distinctive sight of Phase II clone armor and 501st blue, Cody had slammed his helmet onto his head and clambered to his feet. The explosion knocked him back, though, and he hit his lower back painfully on the edge of the table.

He grunted in pain and noticed movement to his right. The majority of his attention was on the front of the pub, on the man standing there, but even so, the commander's sharp eyes didn't miss the armored hand that raised dangerously. A blaster pointed steadily down-range.

Toward _him_. Toward Saa.

Another explosion - a little more distant, as if something outside of the pub was hitting randomly in order to eliminate targets - nearly covered the bright flash of a discharged blaster that went off nearly next to Cody's ear. The clone dodged to the left out of reflex, knocking into Saa and pushing both of them down toward the floor.

A blaster fired again and Cody rolled onto his back just in time to see the boot that had caught Saa's attention so thoroughly, standing firmly next to another, just inches away. His eyes traveled up quickly and Cody was just able to process the sight of an armored woman standing strong above him, her eyes narrowed dangerously and her own weapon leveled toward the door.

The air crackled with ozone and she fired her blaster again, her lips pressed into a grim, deadly line.

And in the wake of a shocked silence, the pub was plunged into complete and irreversible darkness.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> _*insert dramatic drum-roll...!*_

_So, it's been a while, huh? I think the last time I updated was back in June; unforutnately, for reasons far outside of my control, live has been nothing short of insane. I started a new job at te end of July and it hasn't been until the last three weeks that I've had a break between that and school (it helped I decided to put of graduating another year and go part-time so I could retain what precious sanity I have left)_. _In the last few weeks, I also discovered that another writer here on - the lovely **laloga** - resides in the same town as I and she's been instrumental in helping me pick this labor of love back up._

_Since I now have someone to pester me, bounce ideas off of, and pester me (do we sense a theme, here?), there's hope for future updates to this story! Not so much any of my others at the moment, since I only have so much time and energy these days, but if **laloga** has her way, ATS: Rebellion and its subsequent sequels will see the light of day. LOL So, send her much love and thanks, peeps...I don't think I could keep doing this without her cheering me along. ^_^_

_Hope you all liked this chapter - it's a heavy one, but I think I've succesfully worked out the issues with the future story-line that have been holding me back for so long. (it REALLY helps to have someone to talk to about such things, face to face, let me tell ya'!) This chapter and the next chapter-arc are pivotal in the rest of this series (yes, I said it - **series**) so I've daunted by the task ahead of me. I've never written consecutive stories, nor anything that juggles several different plot lines at once. I think I've got a handle on things, though...and we'll see where it goes from here!_

_Also...I'm discovering that I **really** like Anobis. I've studied the American Civil War quite extensively and actually grew up in Gettsyburg (one of the most defining battlefields of American history), so I realized while I was writing this that some of my observations and studies on the antebellum period (pre-Civil War era) was creeping through. I really enjoy the history of the Industrial Revolution, which contributed to a large part of America's post-colonial development, especially in the northern states. I'm probably going to delve deeper into developing Anobis' history and culture as this story progresses, so expect to see some real life American history creep in as a strong influence. I grew up in the American north (in actual coal mining country, no less), but have spent most of my adult life in the American south, so a lot of my own personal observations between an "industrial north" and an "agricultural south" will probably shape Anobis' own history/cutlure/economy/etc._

_A ton of love and thanks to **TheFiresofHope**, **NoxUmbra**, **Admiral Daala**, **nat13cat**, **TheRazzleDazzleDame**, and of course, **laloga**. I'd also like to thank everyone who's favorited ATS: Rebellion _and_ ATS: Redemption. It's really bolstered by desire to keep writing, to know that people are still reading, reviewing, and (hopefully) enjoying. All of you who share your thoughts, who favorite, who keep reading, keep me writing. Thank you. 3_

_Love it? Like it? Hate it? Lemme know...!  
><em>


	5. Wretches & Kings1

_"There's a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious, makes you so sick at heart, that you can't take part; you can't even passively take part! And you've got to put your bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels, upon the levers, upon all the apparatus, and you've got to make it stop! And you've got to indicate to the people who run it, to the people who own it, that unless you're free, the machine will be prevented from working at all!"_

** Linkin Park**

** "Wretches & Kings"**

* * *

><p>Cody had just enough time to count his heart beat once, twice, before the pub broke out into a barrage of activity. To give the nature of the clientèle <em>some <em>amount of credit, the panic was mostly silent. There were some raised voices, some vocal expressions of concern and alarm, but not enough to represent the entire body of patrons. There was, however, a great cacophony of chairs being scraped hastily across the floor, of dishes and glasses knocked accidentally to the floor, of blasters being drawn, and of armored boots thumping urgently toward the door.

Someone hit the door panel and blue-tinged light filtered through a press of bodies jostling though the sudden opening. An explosion hit again and Cody saw the horizon flare a hot, bright white before bursting into a hellish array of reds, oranges, and flickering yellows. Something like a hiss of anger rippled through the pub and the mass exodus out the door seemed to grow more urgent as the ground rumbled dangerously below their feet.

Saa stirred underneath Cody and the clone rolled off of the older merc so he would have a chance to regain his feet. The woman still stood over them - Cody could see her illuminated in shades of night-vision green and white - and her attention was still toward the door. Her attention was so focused, in fact, that Cody wasn't sure that she even realized they were there.

She jerked in surprise when Saa's voice filtered through the murmur of louder voices around them. The former commander didn't catch what was said at all, except that Saa's words were Mando'a and directed over him toward the female Mandalorian still aiming down-range toward the door.

For the first time, she turned her head to look at them; Cody saw her pupils dilate in the darkness as she tried to focus on their features in the ghostly gloom. Saa spoke again and this time, Cody picked out exactly three words - Saa's name, Hella's name, and the word _alor_.

Her eyebrows knitted together and she stared hard in the direction of Saa's voice. For a second, her attention flickered toward the door, but if the trooper was still standing, he made no move toward them. Cody, too, glanced toward the front of the pub and there were still patrons milling about as they made their hurried exit. Given the accuracy of Mandalorian blasters - at least, as Cody had observed so far - the commander rather suspected the other clone was lying incapacitated on the floor.

The thought unsettled him. He had caught only a glimpse of the trooper's armor - enough to notice that there was a pattern on his chest-plate and that there were blue markings on his helmet. But, nothing else. Nothing truly concrete.

All the same, the design on the other clone's helmet was beginning to bother him. It stirred a memory...and Cody was sure that if he could just recall the memory that teased at the edge of his mind, he could identify the marking _and _the other clone.

The woman spoke - something else in Mando'a - and Saa responded with just two words - a name.

"_Sher'ika. Shereshoy._"

Cody had gathered himself into a crouch, choosing to stay low between the two while they addressed each other. He watched the woman warily from his vantage point; her own face was uncovered and he saw as her eyes widened slightly at the mention of what he assumed was her name. Then a firm sort of look settled her around her jaw and she nodded her curtly once.

"There's two of you?" she switched to Basic and her eyes moved to consider the darkness between her and Saa's voice, where Cody stood.

This time, _he _answered.

"Yes."

She took the introduction of an unfamiliar voice completely in stride.

"Follow me."

She spared no time for other words, as she turned abruptly on her heel. She paused just long enough to reach across the edge of her table and grab something that she then slung deftly over her back. Her hand flashed out again and she retrieved her helmet. Without any further adieu, the woman Cody now assumed was named "Shereshoy", set a brisk pace toward the darkness behind the bar.

She slipped her own _buy'ce _on as she moved along and Cody was momentarily distracted by her movement. Whatever she had slung over her back - it looked to be an instrument of some kind - stuck out at an odd angle and gave her a peculiar outline in his HUD's night view. As she rounded the curve of the bar, the observant clone noticed something else rather odd about her...

She limped. And it was even more pronounced of a limp than Saa's. He raised his eyebrows in passing curiosity; she moved as if she'd had the handicap for quite some time. Whatever it was, it wasn't a condition new to her - the female Mandalorian moved with surprising deftness in spite it.

He was so absorbed by his observations, that he nearly ran into her when she made an unanticipated stop in front of the wall behind the bar. It took Cody a second to realize that they were now standing below the stairs he had seen earlier in his visual reconnaissance of the pub. They were behind the bar, in the corner across from the door; there were still bodies filtering through the door, but the press of customers was significantly less than it had been before. Cody glanced furtively around his helmet's 180-degree view, but he didn't spot even a flash of white armor.

The white of clone armor was distinctive; he had learned that as a child on Kamino. Cody knew that he could be 100 years old and he would still be able to pick out the luster of his brothers' armor, even in the green-tinged range of night vision.

His soldier's senses tingled - something wasn't quite right. But, she had opened a narrow door built into the stairwell and was impatiently waving them through.

"Quickly," she muttered and gestured firmly toward the darkness beyond her for a second time.

"After you, _ad'ika_," Saa - ever wary - answered as he nudged Cody from the back.

Shereshoy nodded once and Cody suddenly wasn't sure if Saa had been talking to her, or to him, or to them both. To stay on the safe side, though, he waited until she had limped through the open door before making any move to follow her.

The scene outside of the pub was something straight out of Cody's worst battlefield memories. Shouts, screams, and sirens jostled for supremacy in what should have been a quiet spring evening; the horizon was drenched in shades of incandescent scarlet and brass that showed up as brilliant shades of white in Cody's HUD. Shadows wove an eerie dance against spectral buildings and the whole world seemed to disorient through the surreal filter of his night-vision.

The bio-chemical filters on his helmet did nothing to mask the stench of scorched earth, burnt flesh, and melted slag. Something screamed loudly in passing overhead and Cody slammed his back against the pub wall out of sheer ingrained reflex. His head twisted upward instantaneously as he tried to track the hostile bogie shrieking through the night sky.

The former commander's breath caught in his throat as he recognized the unmistakable outline of a TIE-fighter thrown in stark relief against a burning building. Where there was one...

Another explosion rocked the city and this time, Saa and Shereshoy joined Cody in flattening themselves against the nearest wall. This time the explosion was so close that it left an annoying ringing in Cody's _buy'ce__**-**_padded ears; chunks of duracrete bricks spewed down the alleyway with all the force of a rotary cannon's bolts. Oxidized ash glowed eerily in Cody's modified vision as it rained down softly from above.

"_'Fek_!" Shereshoy broke the shocked silence with a particularly passionate curse.

Cody raised his eyebrows, but the Mandalorian female didn't offer up a word of explanation. The clone glanced up toward the sky and at the TIE-fighters that screamed for supremacy up above them. He supposed that perhaps an explanation wasn't needed after all - the reality of Imperial fighters strafing Cree'dee into the next millennium was rather neatly summed up in a few choice bits of emphatic Huttese.

"Keep up," was Shereshoy's next curt command; crouching slightly at the waist, she scuttled with surprising speed from one sulking shadow to the next.

Cody glanced toward Saa, who only nodded once; the mercenary's jaw was taunt, the only sign of his apprehension. The clone glanced up briefly at the thundering night sky and took the rear this time as he followed Saa and Shereshoy further into the narrow alleyway.

* * *

><p>Their Mandalorian guide set a grueling pace and her path zig-zagged furtively from one dark alleyway to another. The Imperial fighters above them seemed to be following their course with a bizarre intuition and Cody couldn't help questioning the wisdom of their choices as the three crouched for cover in a broken doorway.<p>

"Are you _sure_ we can trust her?" he asked quietly over the private line he shared with Saa.

They _seemed_ to be heading toward the south-west outskirts of the city, toward the small port Cody had seen while riding into Cree'dee earlier that evening. But, it was hard to tell for certain; Shereshoy's path seemed to mimic that of a drunken Lepi on the run and Cody was starting to feel a bit perplexed. He had long prided himself for his ability to keep track of direction - in fact, it was one talent that had held him in good stead during his ARC training - but, the unfamiliarity of his circumstances was beginning to sow doubt in his confidence.

He had never _run _from the enemy before. This was an uncomfortable turn-around for him; instead of standing his ground and fighting, he was ducking and weaving through anomalous streets. The adrenaline of battle pumped powerfully through his body, but Cody could only clench his fists and shake from the overpowering effects of his hyper-aroused endorphins. He had no weapon with which to attack the fighters dominating the Cree'dee sky; he had no command at his disposal with which to formulate a defense, either.

He was simply a Mandalorian civilian, scurrying for cover with two other Mandalorian civilians. And he might have been able to accept the circumstances of their unfortunate situation, except that he wasn't even the one in charge. Nor was Saa. They were both being led by a woman Cody had never met before; a woman who, so as he knew, had no loyalties to them or their mutual survival.

All of that together made him edgy, distrusting. Cody could only squint through his visor and try to gauge what he could of Saa's own private thoughts.

The only concession to the mercenary's concern, was a certain tightening around his mouth. Other than that, his expression was a study in bland.

"We don't have much choice, _ad'ika_," Saa's throat and jaw worked unspoken words that were nevertheless translated into meaning through his subcutaneous comlink.

Another building exploded on the horizon and the sudden display of aggression, destruction, and Imperial supremacy seemed to underscore Saa's words with just a little too fine a point. Cody grimaced underneath his helmet and glanced uncertainly toward Shereshoy. Her visor was pointed in the direction of the newest conflagration that now lit up the night sky with fresh flames; Cody wished he knew her better. As it was, even her body language was unfamiliar and indiscernible.

She hadn't said a word to them since they'd left the familiarity of the pub's shadowy back alley. Even now, she said nothing; she merely held up two fingers and waved them sharply toward a side alley that branched off into the darkness to their left.

Cody sighed to himself and shifted his weight forward onto his heels, so his momentum could carry him out of the uncomfortable crouch he had taken below the archway crumbling above him. Saa followed; the two had swapped positions every time they stopped and started. It was his turn to take the rear - as a result, Cody saw everything that happened with perfect clarity.

Or, at least, everything that happened up until the point where he was knocked backwards off of his feet by yet _another _bomb.

The only warning any of them had, was a blur of white and blue that propelled itself at full force from another alley to their right. There was no shout of indignation, no warning of any kind. There was simply a silent, perfectly executed ambush, followed by the nearly ultra-sonic whine of a TIE-fighter passing over head and the corresponding thunder of a high-explosive impact.

As his center of balance was thrown unexpectedly onto his heels, Cody could only think of one thing - that the sudden reappearance of the unknown trooper was too perfectly timed.

_He planned this_... the commander mused, even as the force of the nearby blast toppled him over onto his back.

Coincidence rarely played a part in clone tactics - Cody would know. The newest bombardment was the closest hit yet - a building just a block behind them erupted into an inferno of destruction and death. Chunks of duracrete and brick spewed out from the center of the blast in a radius that Cody guessed probably encompassed several nearby blocks. Thankfully, he and Saa had been thrown to the ground and the worst of the debris sailed right over them. Not all of it did, however, and the commander grunted in surprise as something sharp and solid slammed into the center of his chest.

If it weren't for the armored plate covering his torso, Cody was certain his chest would have caved. As it was, he could feel his armor dent painfully inward, digging into his skin with sudden force. He'd been wounded enough times in similar fashion, to know that he'd have a bruise across his upper torso for several weeks at least, as well as a good-sided gash and some strained tendons. He rolled as quickly as he could to his side before the worst of the pain could set in and knocked the chunk of brick off of into the dirt next to him. The flying debris had been about the size of his first and jagged on all sides; the wind had been knocked out of him and for several painful moments, it was nearly impossibly to breathe.

After a brief struggle, Cody managed to get one or two shallow breathes in; the center of his chest radiated pain with a savage intensity across his upper body. The close proximity of the blast had kicked his adrenaline into high gear, however, and the former soldier managed to push himself quickly up off of the ground and onto his feet, despite the difficulty he was having breathing.

There wasn't time for injury, for nursing unexpected wounds, or for catching his breath. Cody turned toward the alleyway where he had last seen Shereshoy, and was rather shocked to find her holding her own against the larger trooper.

Their conflict was vicious, though it didn't look like it had yet turned bloody. Viroblades flashed red in the reflected light of the fire behind them; Cody grabbed both of his blasters in instinctual reflex. But then he hesitated, if only for a moment.

The scuffle between the Mandalorian and her assailant was silent, ruthless, and consuming. White-and-blue armor seethed and struggled in an awe-inspiring contrast of firelight and shadow, against an equally matched force of orange-and-gray armor. Cody lifted his left arm uncertainly and tried to take aim, but he realized that he didn't really know who to shoot. He knew nothing of Shereshoy's loyalties...and he had never once raised his weapon against another brother. For one awful moment, the former commander stood frozen in a sobering juxtaposition to the brawl playing out in front of him in fists and blades.

Smoke drifted between them and fire lit the sky up as bright as noon-day; for one breath-defying moment, Cody remembered the hallucinations he'd had when coming off the stims. He remembered Waxer and Bellassa, and his blaster wavered.

A firm hand took a hold of his wrist and pulled the muzzle of his weapon down toward the ground. Cody blinked sluggishly and struggled to focus on the reality that should have superseded the surrealism of their circumstances. After a moment, he finally recognized the weathered face that eyed him with genuine concern.

Saa's thick band of dark glass had broken in the force of his fall; Cody's eyes quickly scanned the rest of the mercenary for any other obvious signs of damage, but the spry Mandalorian seemed fine, if suddenly sooty.

"Don't shoot. Let them sort it out," Saa let go of Cody's arm and reached up to pull off his broken head band.

The merc's piercing green eyes flickered from Cody toward the fighting pair in front of them. The former commander followed his gaze as the trooper stumbled back toward them, having been caught off-guard by a forceful uppercut from Shereshoy. Firelight flickered eerily off of the trooper's helmet and its markings -

Suddenly, Cody remembered. The command that bellowed unexpectedly from his bruised lungs cracked across the dramatic tableau, louder than the explosions that were still rocking the city, louder than the Imperial fighters up above.

"Fives! Stand down!"

The trooper's reaction was instantaneous, born from a life-time of intuitive obedience. Fives snapped to attention and turned directly toward Cody despite the TIE-fighters screaming overhead, despite the cacophony of intermittent violence, despite the hand-to-hand free-for-all he had been engaged in just moments before. Time seemed to freeze between them and Cody was overwhelmed with strangely detached observations and with memories of a past that now felt like it belonged in another life-time all together.

He noticed first - with no small amount of surprise - that Fives' armor now boasted the markings of a captain. There was no time to ponder this unexpected jump in ranks, though, and Cody's eyes drifted lower, toward Fives' right hand. The trooper held a viroblade only in his left hand; his right hand was curled up against his stomach. The bleached armor covering his hand was scorched, and the metal on the edge of his right gauntlet looked as if it had melted and fused to the body suit underneath. Cody remembered Shereshoy shooting at Fives in their initial meeting at the pub - putting the two together, the commander concluded that she had shot his blaster, rendering his dominate hand useless.

Her tactic had come to fruition during the course of their fist-fight. Marks from her viroblade had left deep scores across his chest-plate, his left pauldron, and the armor covering both of his arms. She'd even managed to cut a swathe across the side of his helmet; thanks to the battle-tested durability of clone armor, however, Fives still looked to be fairly unscathed.

Memories from the Wars flashed across Cody's mine - of Kamino, when he'd first met Fives and the rest of Domino Squad. Fives had been young and "shiny" then, still willing to share a smile and a quick laugh. He'd still had all of his brothers around him - he'd still been whole.

Then he remembered Fives at the Battle of Kamino, when he'd earned the right to become an ARC. Cody remembered when Rex had left that iconic hand-print on Echo's unmarked armor. Fives and his brother had earned the right to their stripes that day; they'd become peers within their ranks, distinctive in their tenacity, their strength, their _valor_.

Then Cody remembered the Citadel. Echo, alive and then dead in mere seconds. He remembered the way Fives' body language had shifted so suddenly, so subtly. He remembered the look on the young ARC's face once they had finally left the battle far behind them - after they had left _Echo_ behind them. There were no smiles to be found on Fives' face, no more jokes or easy camaraderie. Something in Fives had been irrevocably _broken_.

Cody hadn't spent any more time around the younger clone after that point to really pinpoint what, exactly, had changed about him. But, then, he hadn't had to; he'd seen it played out within his troops after a thousand bloody battles. He'd seen the seeds of desertion sown on that day, in the depths of betrayal that had flashed across Fives' stone-jawed face. He had known, almost instinctively, that it would one day come to this - that Fives would stand unrepentant in the face of his oppressors. That he would seek another fate - one that hadn't been predetermined by the circumstances of his birth.

Cody knew, inherently, that Fives was a deserter. He knew it in the rebellious set of his brother's shoulders, in the uncompromising rigidity of his spine. He knew it by Fives' armor - no clone now loyal to the Empire, would wear his old colors. Their individualities had all been wiped as clean as their armor; those who clung to who they had once been were outcasts, rebels, and conveniently "reconditioned".

No, Fives would still wear his old ARC armor for only reason - because he had refused to give up his identity. Because he had refused to give up on ideals for which Echo had sacrificed himself.

Each realization and each individual memory processed through his mind in a matter of seconds. Everyone - including him - had been shocked into a stunned silence by his sudden outburst. But, the lull could only last the space of a few shallow breathes; before either Cody, Saa, or Fives could react to each other, Shereshoy struck.

And, struck _hard_. Her viroblade flashed crimson in the hellish light, aimed with blunt intent for the narrow gap between Fives' left pauldron and his rerebrace. It took the men several seconds longer to realize that what happened when her blade struck home, wasn't _normal_.

Sparks flew as metal grated harshly against metal. Fives still reacted, but with the sharp movements of surprise, not with the evasive response of pain. He turned away from Cody and jerked his arm instinctively out the female Mandalorian's reach. The former ARC's body was now turned half-way between Shershoy and Cody; he moved his arm as if he hadn't even _felt_the blade. They all watched, stunned, as he turned his body sharply at the waist and whacked his arm against the wall behind him. The handle of Shereshoy's viroblade broke off, leaving the blade still embedded in Fives' arm.

There was no blood, no obvious pain response. It was as if Fives had been attacked by nothing more annoying than a mosquito. Cody caught Saa's jaw drop out of the corner eye and it was all the former commander could do not to mimic his mentor's response.

Fives' voice rasped from underneath his helmet - if it hadn't been for the distinctive markings that Cody now remembered, he would have never identified the ARC from his voice alone. This was a very different Fives that spoke - more different, even, than the Fives he remembered from after Echo's loss.

"Wrong side, Mandalorian," he shrugged his left shoulder and something electrical popped and whirred in protest.

There was a grim pause and Cody knew that Fives was measuring them all up for another attack. The former ARC shifted his weight slightly and the fingers of his uninjured left hand flexed slowly.

"A souvenir from Felucia, in case you're wondering, _Commander_."

Cody's blood ran cold at Fives' blunt address.

Fives' fingers contracted again and his weight shifted forward; everything in his demeanor intensified and Cody raised his blasters up in sheer trained response. Before either of them could move, though, Shereshoy's voice broke through the heavy, smoldering air between them.

This time, it was _her _turn to bring them all up short.

"Enough!" movement accompanied her words and she stepped forward boldly.

The female Mandalorian threw out a confident hand and grabbed Fives by his left pauldron. The smaller woman put the force of her body behind her hand and stepped directly into Fives' space with an authority that was surprising. Fives was clearly startled by her decisive action and he moved back himself - until his back hit the wall not two steps behind him. Brick scraped loudly against tempered armor and Shereshoy squared soundly up to Fives, her helmet tilted upward in a clear stance of defiance.

"Are you done being a _di'kut_?" her clear alto voice echoed against the duracrete around them as firm as a slap to the face.

Fives drew himself up in obvious indignation, but he seemed to defer to the woman standing so brazenly in front of him - for the moment, anyway. There was a peculiar familiarity between them, as if the two had met before; Cody watched their interaction with a mixture of concern and unsatiated curiosity.

"I'll stop being a '_di'kut_' when my crew's no longer in danger," Fives shot back.

His voice was gravely, as if he wasn't used to talking anymore; Cody remembered him as being a bit of a mouth, with nearly always something smart to say. Now, though, Fives' words were slow and deliberate, as if he thought about them, as if he had to concentrate on giving voice to them at all.

"The only hope your crew has of surviving, is if all of you _shabla_males finally decide to trust me!" Shereshoy gave back as good as she got, but some of her stance softened.

She even stepped back a pace, though she continued to face Fives' head-on. The former ARC, however, didn't seem inclined to lower his guard; he did turn slightly toward Cody though, and pointed a finger scornfully in his direction.

"Why should I trust you when _he_'s with you? For all I know, Appo finally decided to send someone down to do his dirty work for him."

Fives' words hit home hard, but before Cody could respond, Fives' turned completely in his direction and addressed him directly.

"I heard about you from Appo directly, Commander," Fives' rough voice mocked everything Cody had ever done to set his past behind him; for a moment, Cody felt shame, his old and relentless companion, as it reared its ugly head deep within his bruised chest. "I heard about what happened at Bellassa."

Guilt followed shame and for one long, awful second, Cody couldn't think of anything to say in his defense. But then something else stirred deep inside of him - something that responded angrily to Fives' belligerent stance and antagonizing words.

Something like rebellion stirred, something like revolt.

"If Appo told you about me, then you should know that I've deserted," Cody slowly holstered his blasters, as he thought of all the battles that he had waged within himself - of all the battles that he had _won_.

He thought of Tay, of Obi-Wan, of Saa - of the absolution that he had found because of them. Now it was Cody's turn to lift his head in defiance and to step boldly toward Fives, to claim the respect that he had struggled for so long to rediscover.

Fives was still unmoved. The two troopers stared each other down from behind their helmets; the world had narrowed down to just the two of them, to brothers who had once fought together.

To brothers who now stood in precarious opposition to one another.

"That still tells me _nothing _of your loyalties," Fives' voice deepened to an almost impossible octave, his words a veiled warning snarled through grit teeth.

Cody stood his ground and his response volleyed back without a single moment's hesitation.

"My loyalty lies with rebellion, Captain. I hold no allegiance to the Empire, nor will I ever."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** _Ye gads! Can it be true? TWO updates, in just as many weeks? Thanks **laloga**, folks...she's quite insistent about getting her way (i.e., getting more chapters and finding out what's next. All that jazz, y'know. LOL)_

_I might not be quite as productive this coming week, however...we'll see. I have a midterm, a statistics test, and an event of deepest importance coming up next Friday/Saturday. Oh...and part of a research paper on military psychology to write, too... So, not sure how much I'll get done, outside of some random notes. The good news is, though, that the plot bunniez have been nibbling away at my brain all week and I've got quite an impressive collection of notes to show for it..._

_For those of you who love Echo...yes, I'm evil and I'm keeping to cannon. I was intrigued by one of the first teaser trailers I saw for TCW: Episode Four, however, which showed a clip of Fives asking Rex about what they were going to do "after the war." That vision of Fives - which struck me as very dark, very belligerent, and very aggressive - has stuck with me and that's the vision of Fives that Just. Won't. Leave. Me. Alone. So...in order to have dark, angsty Fives...Echo must remain dead. . I apologize to those who may have been hoping to see some Echo in ATS...but alas. Fives has asked to retain the dubious distinction of being the only surviving member of Domino Squad. Hopefully, however, you will like dark, angsty Fives and so any lack of Echo might possibly be forgiven...? *eyes **Kiana** nervously* Pleasedon'thurtme? Fives made me do it!_

_Also as a head's up...I may be editing the currently existing chapters of **Virtues From A Certain Point of View**. These edits will include rather significant changes and will apply to all three chapters...so you might want to keep an eye out for those. Should I edit, I'll make note of it in the description line...but now that the plot bunniez have been fruitful and multiplied past just this current story-line, there are some changes that I have to make in order to keep things all in order. I might also post another chapter (a **Chopper**/chivalry chapter, I think) this week...but we'll see. I make no resolute promises, other than: keep an eye on VFACPOV over the next days/week._

_Warm and many major thanks to: **laloga**, **Kiana Tavers-Mereel**, **Admiral Dala**, **Librarian Girl**, and **LongLiveTheClones**. You guys keep me writing - never doubt it! You guys have kept this story going and you're awesome support (and **laloga**_'s couch) will continue to do so, hopefully, for many more chapters/stories. :-)__

_Love it? Like it? Hate it? Lemme know...!  
><em>


	6. Wretches & Kings2

_"To save face, how low can you go? / Talk a lot of game, but yet you don't know. / Static on the way, make us all say 'whoa!' / The people up top, push the people down low."_

**"Wretches & Kings"  
>Linkin Park<strong>

* * *

><p>"You're such a baby!"<p>

Cody watched as Sheresh grabbed Fives' wounded hand; the commander wasn't sure whether to be alarmed or amused at the non-stop bickering that had been bantered back and forth between the two since the moment they had stopped trying to kill each other. So, mostly, Cody was _bemused_ and sat on the sidelines with Saa while their newest companions tried to verbally one-up each other.

"Why the _hell_ would I trust the woman who _shot_ my _one good hand_ to turn around and patch it up?" Fives tugged his arm roughly toward his chest, but the Mandalorian's grip held firm.

If anything, he simply pulled Sheresh _closer_. They had both taken their helmets off once the group had found shelter; as a result, their noses were now almost touching. Saa chuckled quietly under his breath and Cody shot him a quizzical look. The older merc just grinned and shook his hand briefly side-to-side through the air in front of him to indicate that he'd answer Cody's question at another time. Saa's green eyes were merry, though, as he glanced away from Cody and back toward Fives and Sheresh.

"Because you'll just do more damage to yourself if you let the damn wound fester. No stop being such a bloody _shabuir_!" Sheresh rocked back on her heels and pulled Fives' arm toward her.

Fives was sitting on the ground, legs crossed. Sheresh was squatting down in front of him and if she wasn't careful, she could easily overbalance and fall back onto several jagged bits of duracrete rubble. Cody raised a brief eyebrow as he watched the power struggle go back and forth. It would certainly be interesting to see who finally got the upper hand – the ARC-trained clone or the Mandalorian bounty hunter.

No offense to Saa, of course, but...Cody privately had his bets on the ARC-trained clone.

The ground rumbled as yet another TIE fighter hit yet another target. Cody squinted up toward the ceiling and instantly regretted it, as a fine shower of dust fell into his nose and eyes. He coughed and sputtered for several minutes as he cursed himself for taking off his helmet.

The fighters had moved their attack toward the south-west side of the city, where Cody had seen the tiny space-port. They were no longer running through the epicenter of the attack and the former commander was now particularly thankful that they hadn't traveled in the _Ijaa_. It made perfect sense for the Imperials to bomb the city's only space-port – by the sound of it, they were doing a fairly effective job of eradicating the only quick and reliable options _out_ of the city. It did, however, leave Cody wondering how _they_ were going to get out in one piece without detection.

For the moment, they sought shelter in one of the few buildings still standing in the immediate vicinity. There was no point with arguing with Fives in the middle of a bombed-out street, so Saa had wisely suggested that they all take cover until the worst of the bombing had passed over. And so it was that Sheresh found herself fighting with Fives over his wounded hand and they all found themselves without their helmets on, Cody uncharacteristically included.

He didn't know why Sheresh and Fives had decided to take off their helmets, but they had all three removed them as soon as they had settled into what appeared to be a long-deserted warehouse. Normally, Cody wouldn't have thought about doing such a foolhardy thing in the middle of a battle-field (regardless of whether the others did or not), but he had hoped that by seeing his face, Fives might come to trust the sincerity of his words. He had long learned that the truth of a man could almost always be read in his eyes and he wanted to give his brother the chance to see that he was speaking the truth.

Any sort of truth had yet to be spoken, however, since Sheresh had pretty much backed Fives into a corner as soon as they had entered the building. She was intent on seeing to his hand – and Fives was just as intent on evading her attentions.

Cody was still trying to clear grit out of his eyes, when he heard a rustle of sudden movement and Fives' raspy voice break the silence.

"You know...you're rather pretty."

The oddly suggestive pitch of Fives' voice inspired Cody to blink a little harder in an attempt to clear his vision. He wasn't able to focus on what was happening quick enough, however, before a rather authoritative _slap_ echoed through the warehouse in response.

"What in the Corellian _hells_...!" Fives lent voice to the very words that suddenly ran through Cody's head.

The commander swiped the back of his hand across his eyes in frustration and blinked rapidly a few more times. The world finally cleared and he stared in amazement at the scene that had unfolded in the time it had taken him to flush the dirt out of his eyes.

By the look of things, Fives had either _pulled_ Sheresh hard enough for her to lose her balance, or the aftershocks of the bombing had _pushed_ her forward against the ARC's armored chest. The bounty hunter was sprawled awkwardly on her stomach in the center of Fives' lap – though she was now devoting a considerable amount of energy in extracting herself as quickly as possible from her current situation.

Saa snorted and Cody glanced over just in time to see the mercenary wipe a hand over his ear-to-ear grin. The clone lifted his eyebrows in silent query; this time, Saa offered an explanation, his voice just low enough to be hidden under the sound of Sheresh's struggle.

"What you're seeing here is Mandalorian foreplay at its finest," Saa rubbed a hand over his mouth a second time, but it was absolutely insufficient for subduing the signs of his mirth.

Cody stared at him, shocked. The older man just smirked.

"Keep an eye on those two. They'll be married one of these days."

"They're barely able to sit together civilly in the same _room_," Cody hissed back, his voice a bit hoarse from the wound across his chest.

Trying to breath enough to talk only made the pain worse; when he didn't say anything at all, it was merely a dull ache. The clone grimaced and rubbed a hand unconsciously across his badly dented armor. He was tempted to take it off, but considering the circumstances, he didn't think it was wise to leave his major organs unprotected. As much as the armor biting into his skin hurt, Cody knew that it was safer in the long run if he suffered through it until they found a safer place.

He'd been in worse pain before, anyway. All he needed was a shot of stim and...

He shook his head to rid himself of _that _particularly dangerous thought. Once, he could depend on stims to get him through the worst of an injury. Not any more; he had long destroyed any hope he could have had of temporary relief. He'd just have to grit his teeth, say as little as possible, and rest as much as he could while they were still taking shelter.

"Oh, that means nothing," Saa, who thankfully wasn't privy to Cody's private thoughts, waved a hand dismissively in the air between them. "The first time I met Marta, I put a blaster bolt through her leg. She wouldn't have anything to do with me for _months_. Three years after that, I had to repeat the marriage vows _four _times before she'd say 'em back to me. Pretended she was deaf every time, 'til she decided I'd groveled enough."

Cody just _stared_. He really had no other suitable response for the inherent _weirdness_ of Mandalorians. And, since he had nothing else to say, he just turned his attention back to Fives and Sheresh.

Fives was rubbing the side of his face and scowling dangerously. Sheresh had managed to clamber out of his lap and had taken a more stable stance – by standing over him. She had her hands on her hips and Cody almost felt sorry for his brother. The simmering wrath of a Mandalorian woman was enough to make even _him_ cringe toward Saa in an attempt to put as much space between him and her as possible.

Fives, however, appeared positively resolute. At that moment, Cody wasn't entirely certain that the ARC _hadn't _lost his sense of self-preservation somewhere along the way.

"Would you just give me your _talyc_ hand?" she even stomped her foot for emphasis, but Fives seemed singularly unimpressed.

"Not until you tell me what '_talyc_' means," he shot back without skipping a beat.

Sheresh paused; Cody couldn't see her face, since her back was turned toward her, but her body language shifted slightly, as if in surprise.

"It means 'bloody'," she snapped after a long pause. "_Now_ will you let me fix you up?"

Cody counted three heartbeats before Fives slowly shook his head, his jaw set in a stubborn line.

"Nope."

"I should just _shoot_ you!" Sheresh's hand went reflexively to her holster.

Cody glanced at Saa in alarm, but the mercenary looked, if anything, still faintly amused. He merely shook his head at the clone's unasked question and Cody took a deep breath as he turned his attention back at the unfolding drama. He had never questioned Saa before, but now he was wondering if the merc was blindsided by the fact that Sheresh was _aliit_.

_If she pulls her weapon..._ Cody didn't even need to finish the thought; he knew what would happen.

Later, Cody would look back on that moment and wonder if the Force was playing its hand behind the thing he _wouldn't _have wondered, was what _could_ have happened, if Sheresh's left gauntlet hadn't chosen that moment to start blinking. He knew that look on Fives' face well – it was the look of a man who was provoking his enemy to a fight.

It was also the look of a man who was planning his next kill.

But, thankfully, Cody's what if's would stay exactly that – what if's. Sheresh's gauntlet started flashing an urgent blue and the deadly moment passed as she turned her attention away from Fives and toward her incoming call.

Later, Cody would remember that it was _Tay_ who ultimately saved the day.

* * *

><p>The former commander had heard many stories about Lepis, but he had never actually seen one. Not in person and not even live on a holocam. The lanky, blue-tinged holo-image fascinated Cody – but not because of the oddly lopped ears, or the gangly limbs. What caught the clone's undivided interest was the suit of storm trooper armor that covered the bi-ped space rabbit from foot to neck. The armor looked as if it were painted, but Cody couldn't really tell – holocams could only convey so many details, and only so many flickering shades of white and blue.<p>

He was also _not_ the only one in present company who found the Lepi's appearance surprising. Though, admittedly, Fives' sudden interest was far more explosive than Cody's more passive curiosity.

"Rowin?" the name was roared so loudly that it echoed across the duracrete walls around them.

The ground quivered and the sounds of Imperial invasion still loomed in the deadly backdrop of their impermanent shelter. The sound of impacting missiles lent Fives' sudden reaction an eerie sort of soundtrack; Cody watched in a mixture of shock and awe as the wounded ARC surged forward to his feet.

Cody didn't think he had ever seen Fives' face etched with more deadly intent.

The Lepi, however, seemed to take it all in a rather composed stride.

"What's up, Boss?" the holo-image simply shifted its attention away from Sheresh and out toward Fives' general direction.

"Traitor!" Fives seemed nearly apoplectic; Cody could see a vein beginning to pulse on the side of the ARC's temple, just underneath his Aurebesh tattoo.

A slight movement next to him drew Cody's attention away from Fives just long enough to see Saa scrowl and place a wary hand on the top of his blaster. The former commander frowned himself and chewed on the inside of his lip as he turned his eyes back toward Fives, Sheresh, and Rowin.

The situation with Fives seemed to be escalating, no matter what they did. It hurt to move; it hurt to breath; Cody's usually sharp mind was beginning to dull from the pain radiating through his chest and he didn't know if he had the emotional gumption necessary to draw fire on his own brother. And not just _any_ brother...but a man he had personally promoted. A man he had watched – with great pride – rise up in the ranks from a mere trooper to an exulted and exceptional ARC.

Fives was not as close to Cody as Rex, but of all the troopers that had been under Cody's command, or within Cody's influence during the Wars, Fives was one of his most respected. In fact, the commander had often felt a sort of paternal instinct toward the younger clone – unbeknown to Fives, Cody had closely followed the ARC's exploits throughout the War. He had always been impressed by Fives' ingenuity, his leadership capability, and his intellectual acumen; Cody had always been _proud _of Fives and of his success as one of the clone elite.

To knowingly open fire...to aim to kill... Cody glanced at Fives and then warily back at Saa.

He never doubted that if it came to violence, that Saa would side with his _aliit_. Cody clenched his fists and wavered in the face of a decision he was loathe to make. Could he take down Fives? Or worse...could he defy Saa?

A thick, twangy accent broke the tension and Cody could only stand relieved as Rowin finally took the situation into hand.

"You sure do like slingin' that word 'round a lot – 'traitor', huh?" the rabbit simply crossed his arms over his own narrow chest and fixed Fives with a reproving scowl. "Seems like you're determined to find one behind every rock an' shadow."

"Yeah? Well..._you_ spend some time in Appo's prisons and tell me that you wouldn't be forced to see the same," Fives hissed and shifted his weight threateningly to the balls of his feet.

He was poised to attack, his hands held warily out toward his sides, his fingers clenching and unclenching slowly as his eyes narrowed into amber slits. Cody glanced at Saa, hoping for some sort of instruction, but the old merc remained silent, hands hovering uncertainly above his own weapons of choice. There was a dangerous pause which was punctuated only by the sound of explosions – Cody noted that the explosions sounded a little louder around the holo-image and he realized with a start that Rowin must have been comming in from near the space-port.

"How _could_ you, Rowin? How _could_ you do this to Kil?" Fives finally broke the silence, his voice nearly cracking with the force of his anger.

Even Sheresh seemed a bit taken back by the ferocity of Fives' verbal attack. The ARC's eyes blazed with a deep and hateful vitriol and his words were hard. There was no spark of mercy to soften the clone's aggressive stance; there was no quarter to be found in the sharp lines of his face.

"Whoa! Hold your bordock, Boss," this seemed to solicit a strong response in Rowin as well and the holo-image leaned forward toward Fives; Cody couldn't tell if the holo-cam was flickering, or if the Lepi was actually wiggling his long whiskers at the ARC in indignation. "Don't you _dare_ insinuate that I'd do _anythin'_ to put Kil in harm's way!"

"I'm not insinuating, _rabbit_," Fives snarled; the ARC's "good" hand finally took hold of his remaining blaster and three other hands automatically grasped theirs in response. "I'm flat out _stating the truth_."

"Rowin and I haven't betrayed _anyone_, Fives!" Sheresh finally spoke up. "Least of all you _or_ Kilia."

She tossed her head angrily and Cody suddenly realized that the flash of flame that shimmered through her long braid was her own natural hair color and _not_ a reflection cast by an explosion. He watched as her nearly-waist long hair bounced across her armored shoulders; sudden indignation rolled off of her waves and Cody was quickly beginning to feel as if the whole situation was something out of a bad holo-soap.

"_I saw you on Appo's ship_!"

Cody thought for sure that Fives would draw his blaster at that moment. He was surprised to see that instead, the ARC just clenched his fists again and tightened his jaw. The former commander raised a single eyebrow in surprise and glanced over at Saa to see what his companion made of the unfolding drama. The Mandalorian _alor_ merely glanced at Cody and shrugged, as if to convey his own sense of bewilderment.

"How about Sheresh and I just explain ourselves, instead of the two of you losing your tempers in a shouting match?" Rowin's voice was oddly level, but a glance at the holo-image showed that any amount of patience was costing the Lepi dearly.

The rabbit had one paw on his hip while the other rubbed back and forth across his temple. His whiskers were laid back against his cheeks – Cody had seen Hella's whiskers do the same and knew that it was a silent testimony to the Lepi's current state of annoyance.

"Sounds like the first sensible thing anyone's said since this whole drama started!" Saa made absolutely no bones about his approval.

He glanced over Cody, then at Sheresh, then at Fives. His eyes lingered on the ARC for a moment before he snorted under his breath; the mercenary sat down with a slight groan. He stretched out his leg and rubbed it for a moment, as he squinted back up at Sheresh and her holocam compatriot.

"You've got sense, Rabbit. Didn't think they made that in a Lepi."

"You'd be surprised at what Order 66's brought out in us all," was Rowin's chilling response.

Mention of Order 66 seemed to be something like cold water on the raging fire of Fives' ascending temper. The ARC growled deep in his throat and it was a primal sound, one that raised the fine hairs on the back of Cody's neck. But, the deserter backed down and that was enough for the rest of them to breath a little easier.

"You can start by telling me why you left Kilia," Fives backed away from Sheresh by a step and he crossed his arms defiantly across his chest. "An' how you ended up with the likes of _her_."

The ARC remained in that position, arms crossed, as still as chiseled stone. But his eyes never stopped moving, as they roved warily from face to face. His eyes lingered on Cody's hands, which were still poised expectantly by his blasters. Fives' umber eyes met those of his former commander and Cody saw condemnation there, in a face that had once given him unconditional respect. He broke eye contact with Fives and glanced down at the ground, suddenly and unexplainablely ashamed.

A rather loud explosion crackled out from the holocam speaker and they all watched with some amount of alarm as Rowin's blue-tinted image flickered in and out of existence for several seconds. The image finally stabilized, but there was a look of unmistakable concern on the Lepi's face.

"The Imps are bombarding our location," he ignored Fives' demand and his long-eared head turned up, as if he was eying the unseen structure above him. "I think this is a conversation best had in person, Fives."

"No," the unyielding tone of Fives' voice left very little room for argument; Cody, however, had to give the Lepi one for tenacity.

"I'm _with _Kilia and the crew right now," the rabbit turned his attention back toward Fives and his disapproval was palpable even through a holo-cam. "The longer we stay here, the more in danger _all_ of us are. It's better if you let us come to you and have this conversation in person."

"You might be with Kil and the crew, but how do I know that you haven't already handed over your position to Appo?" Rowin huffed as if he was about to say something in his defense, but Fives cut him off before he could even open his mouth to speak. "No, you'll stay right where you are, Rabbit. And if Kil and the crew _are_ with you, you better do your damn best to keep them safe 'til the fighters pass over to another part of the city. In the meantime, at least some amount of security is assured, as long as you and your partner here stay separated," Fives shot Sheresh a rather dirty look, before turning back to Rowin and briskly delivering the terms of the conversation. "I'm not trusting the two of you within a mile of one another, until I know what the 'fek is going on."

Another deep silence fell over the group; the destruction of Imperial fighters still bled through the holocam and more distantly through the settling dust that still occasionally sprinkled down around them. Cody shifted slightly, the better to see the unfolding drama between Fives, Rowin, and Sheresh, but he stopped abruptly when Fives fixed him with a cold stare.

"Don't think I've forgotten about you, _Commander_," the ARC growled threateningly; his eyes flickered briefly toward Saa and then back to Cody. "Once was enough in Appo's grasp and I'm not going to trust _anyone _until Boil and Chiyou are free."

"Boil...?" Cody practically choked on the name.

Images sprang, unbidden, to mind – the muddled horrors of his stim-induced nightmares and the soul-wrenching guilt he still suffered over Waxer's untimely death rose to the forefront of Cody's conscious. He could feel his face paling slightly and something like triumph flashed darkly across Fives' gaunt face.

"Yeah, Boil," the clone's grim smile twisted forebodingly along the corners of his mouth. "I've heard about Sarrish. You owe Boil blood."

Cody's shame wouldn't allow him to keep eye-contact with Fives for long. The former commander bowed his head and didn't even pretend to hide his conflicted emotions – his wounds had lowered his usual defenses and to be honest, he felt that there was nothing he should hide from Fives. If his brother was to know the sincerity of his heart, then there was no dishonor in showing his guilt. Cody closed his eyes briefly and struggled to take a deep, cleansing breath. A part of him almost refused to believe that coincidence would strike so close to his darkest sins – it was almost impossible to imagine that of all the brothers he should run into first, that it would be Fives. It was even harder to accept that of all the deserters that Fives could protect, Boil would be the one among that number.

But, a larger part of Cody knew that it was bound to happen sooner or later. Coincidence – or, perhaps, if one asked Tay, the Force – had lead him to Obi-Wan's battered grace. Since then, a part of him had almost always suspected that his path would one day cross with Boil's. His redemption – or condemnation – would not rest, until Fate had sought out all the sins of his bloody past and forced him to reconcile with each and every one.

A warm hand came to rest on Cody's shoulder and he looked up in surprise to meet Saa's knowing green eyes. The two exchanged a look – one of understanding and forgiveness – and for the moment, Cody's heart was bolstered.

There was at least one on his side – one who knew only too well the broken path his redemption had taken, who knew the demons that Cody still struggled with inside. The clone nodded, just once, in acceptance of Saa's silent support.

_Cin vhetin_, he reminded himself as he glanced down again at his armored legs and feet.

The past didn't matter – not to a Mandalorian, anyway. Not to one who had taken up his armor, forged himself anew, and sworn fealty to the Resol'nare. Cody straightened his shoulders underneath Saa's firm fingers and raised his head to meet Fives in the eye. The ARC was still watching him, his expression silent witness to the judgment he longed to pass on his former commander. Cody would accept that judgment – but he would not be broken by it, he would not be defined by it. The two clones stared each other down for several heartbeats, before Fives finally looked away with a contemptuous – and oddly uncertain – sneer.

The two shifted their attention away from each other just in time to catch Sheresh and Rowin engaged in their own conversation; Cody was mildly surprised to realize that Lepi and bounty hunter were conversing rapidly in fluent Mando'a.

"What are you two talking about?" Fives snapped, clearly uncomfortable by the use of a language he couldn't follow.

"Sheresh was just askin' me 'bout the safety of our current shelters," Rowin replied blandly; the rabbit titled his head up to consider yet again the unseen surface above him.

Cody rubbed a hand uncomfortably across his dented chestplate and grimaced – a bit from pain and a bit from concern – as the holo-image flickered dangerously a second time in response to a thunderous explosion. The Lepi sneezed in brisk succession, as if dust had been stirred up into his face and what sounded like a child's voice cried out in quivering alarm.

"It's all right, Lil' Bun," Rowin turned his head and addressed the voice off-screen, before glancing back at Fives with something like supplication in his whiskery face. "Our cockpit will hold a little longer but the rest of the ship has suffered considerable damage. If the Imps keeping bombing our location," the holo-image flickered as if to lend a sobering credence to Rowin's words. "I don't know how much longer we can keep a comlink connection – much less our own lives."

"Is there a child with you?" Saa spoke up; there was a note of command in his voice, and both Fives and Cody reacted to it by turning to watch the weathered merc struggle to his feet.

"Yes," Rowin answered immediately. "She's about ten standard years old."

"I don't care if you know me, Fives. But, I'm the brother of ARC Captain Delta and the adopted father of three others. And as _alor_ of Clan Par'jain, I outrank everyone in this room," Saa's eyes flashed dangerously and Cody didn't miss the look of shock that crossed Fives' face at the bold mention of Del. "If there's a child in danger, your petty paranoia can shove it."

The merc rounded abruptly on Sheresh and his voice didn't leave any room whatsoever for dissent. He didn't even allow Fives a chance to protest – though, by the look of surprise that was still settled on his brother's face, Cody didn't think that Fives even _had_ a protest lined up just yet.

"Get whoever you have there with you on their feet and moving," Saa jabbed his finger at Rowin's holo-image, the authority in his voice undeniable. "Sheresh," he turned to his fellow Mandalorian and continued the prompt delivery of his commands with a motion toward her _buy'ce_. "How secure is your communication system?"

"Probably the most secure thing in this city, at the moment," the bounty hunter replied slowly; Cody could see that she was already anticipating Saa's next order, as her left hand reached toward her nearby helmet.

"Send your furry friend our coordinates and then cut out the comm chatter," Saa lifted his head and eyed the ceiling, as if looking through the duracrete to consider the hostile night skies above them. "Fives, you might have been a good ARC, but circumstances have made you shoddy. You've let that rabbit stay online too long – we all better hope his comm channel is encrypted tighter than the Bothan Spynet."

The meaning behind Saa's sharp observation made even Fives pale a bit in the shadowy light. The ARC paused for just half a second, before asked a question that could either make or break his cooperation.

"Are you...Saa, then?"

"Off-line, Rabbit," Saa seemed to ignore Fives for a moment, as he pointed imperiously at Rowin's holo-image.

The Lepi nodded once and the blue-tinted glow disappeared abruptly. The loss of the holocam image plunged them all in to a deeper gloom and every armored figure there reached for his or her helmet. Cody paused a moment, though, and reached for his canteen first – the dust had settled in the back of his throat and parched his tongue.

"Yes," just when Cody began to think that Saa was going to ignore Fives' question, he answered it in the soft voice he reserved when speaking of the past. "You knew Del," it was a statement, not a question.

Fives, too, paused a moment before slipping on his blue-marked helmet. Only when his face was covered did he answer, his voice echoing eerily through the helmet filters.

"He spoke of you once, the Mandalorian he called 'brother'. I met him briefly – him and his wife."

Cody had just taken a sip of water, but the mention of meeting Del's "wife" made him choke in shock. Water spewed out of the former commander's mouth as he spit his mouthful of half-swallowed water onto the grime-covered floor at his feet. He coughed for several seconds, before lifting his head and staring incredulously toward Fives, eyes watering slightly from his sudden lack of breath and the agony that blossomed through his chest.

"Tay?" Cody wheezed; he cleared his throat, coughed, and tried again. "You know Tay?"

There was a profound silence for several agonizing moments before Fives answered slowly. The tone of his voice was odd, as if he too was trying to process the bizarre coincidence that suddenly linked them all together.

"Sheltay Marr? Jedi Healer?"

Cody thought his heart would take up residence in his throat.

"Yes," he croaked, his world tilting unexpectedly.

"Yes," Fives replied slowly, his voice becoming more and more puzzled behind the calculated facelessness of his helmet. "She's one of the only three reasons I'm even alive," there was another long and suspicious pause. "How do _you_ know her?"

Saa startled all of them as he threw back his head and laughed; Sheresh jumped, not expecting her _alor_ to express such an unexpected mirth and even Cody shifted uncertainly in response.

"Well, for starters," the mercenary finally stopped chuckling long enough to jerk his thumb toward Cody. "I had to practically drag him out of her bed this morning."

Cody thought that, in the following silence, one could have heard a gizka croak.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **_Dum-duh-dum-dum-dum! Though, realistically...it couldn't have been long before Fives would have had to make the connection between him, Saa, and Cody. I'll admit, I wasn't planning to have the revelation tossed out there so soon...but I merely write what these guys tell me to write. I have a general idea of where each chapter goes...but once I start writing, I'm never quite sure what's going to happen. It's as much of an adventure to write as it it is to read (I hope). LOL_

_Anyways...here's another chapter of "Rebellion." What's up with Rowin? How does Rowin know both Sheresh and Kil? For those of you who keep up with "Virtues", I'm sure you've picked up on some little plot threads...and hopefully the next chapter (maybe two) will answer all of your questions. :) A lot of the next chapter (or two) or pivotal for "Rebllion" - and, in a lot of ways - for the rest of my planned saga. I've been procastinating like a mo-fo on writing those bits...but hopefully my NaNoWriMo plans will kick that procrastination out of the window. LOL_

_And yes! It's National Novel Writing Month! Thanks to the encouragement of **laloga** and **Queen**, I've decided to undertake the NaNoWriMo challenge of 50,000 written words by the end of this month. However, one of the limitations I'm learning to accept about myself, is that I'm a one-to-two project-at-a-time sort of person; if I started a new novel, we would probably never see "Rebellion" finished in any sort of reasonable time and we would probably never see that new novel finished after this month. ._. One of the things one learns about his/herself when writing, is where one's limitations lay...so I've had to accept my inherent writer's ADD and adapt my NaNoWriMo goals accordingly. To that affect, I'm "unofficially" participating in NaNoWriMo (since the official rules state that you have to start a new project for the contest) and applying my 50,000 word goal toward "Rebellion." So, I don't get to participate officially in the contest...but I feel it's a much better application of the contest (in regards to myself and my own writing) if I focus all of my attention on "Rebellion." I think it'll be fun to see how far we can get in the story-line by the end of the month - I'm hoping to have at least half of the novel written by the 30th! ;-)_

_We'll see how that goes...hopefully, **laloga** can keep me focused. ;-)_

_Lots of warm thanks and love to **Codywolf**, **Kiana Tavers-Mereel**, **laloga**, and **Admiral Daala** for your awesome reviews and continued support! *hugs!* And thanks to everyone who has favorited this story and added it to their "update" list. You all rock - keep the love coming! It keeps me going._

_Love it? Like it? Hate it? Lemme know...!_


	7. Wretches & Kings3

"_Get down / And obey every word. / Steady getting mine if you haven't yet heard; / Wanna take what I got, / don't be absurd! / Don't fight the power – / nobody gets hurt."_

"**Wretches & Kings"**

**Linkin Park**

* * *

><p>Fives was the first to break the incredulous quiet.<p>

"You," he pointed at Cody; the gesture was authoritative, but Cody knew his brother's voice too well.

There was an unspoken question poised in just that single word; a note of dubiety quivered in his delivery.

"_You_," Fives repeated, as if he was trying to wrap his own mind around the improbability of Saa's statement. "Were in _Healer Marr's_ _bed_ this morning?"

"Ah..." Cody swallowed reflexively and felt a deep blush creep up his neck into the bottom of his cheeks; he shot Saa glare as if to say "_how could you have said that_?" "Um...yes."

"_Healer_ Marr," Fives repeated, still not entirely convinced of the truth. "Miraluka? White hair? Altisian Jedi?"

"Ah..." Cody cleared his throat and paused to catch his breath; he wished desperately that his ears would stop burning. "Yes."

"You've...slept..._with..._Healer Marr?"

"Ah..."

"As in..." Fives paused and Cody could almost imagine his brother narrowing his eyes at him through the dark visor of his helmet. "_Sexually_?"

Cody coughed and reached for his own helmet – it was time to give himself some sort of reprieve from the gazes that were all currently fixed at him. If Fives could hide his eyes, well...Cody slammed his "bucket" down on top of his head...so could he.

"Not that it's any of your business," the former commander addressed Fives stiffly as soon as his helmet was locked into place. "But...yes."

"But..." it was clear that Fives was having considerable difficulty wrapping his mind around the sudden shift in his paradigm. "She's _married_!" he turned his head as he moved his shuttered gaze toward Saa.

"Not any more," Cody didn't need to look, to hear the quiet sobriety of Saa's reply.

"What about _Del_?" Fives hesitated a moment before adding cautiously. "He didn't..." his voice trailed off uncertainly.

"We're not sure what happened, Fives," Saa's voice was barely above a whisper and Cody glanced up in time to the see the older merc sigh and lift his gaze up toward the ceiling. "But...Tay felt Del pass shortly after the execution of Order 66. We can only hope that..." he paused and shrugged, his gaze still stubbornly lifted toward the darkness above them. "He died true to her."

"Del was a good man," Fives, too, whispered; his voice was thick with emotion and Cody was suddenly very thankful for the privacy of their respective helmets. "It was an honor to know him, if only for a brief time."

"He was a good brother," Saa nodded slowly; he lowered his head, but still refused to meet anyone's gaze. "_Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum,_" he added the Mandalorian remembrance softly, as if to himself.

"I thought Healer Marr died on Medstar Five," the ARC slowly sat down on a large chunk of duracrete as he seemed to realize that the current conversation was going to continue for some time.

Cody glanced toward Sheresh; she, too, had taken a seat, though she seemed to be following the conversation only peripherally, as she typed frantically into a larger model datapad. With her helmet on, it was hard to determine if she was following the conversation at all, but Cody had been around Mandalorians long enough to know that they were masters of multitasking. Rarely were a Mando's ears _not_ tuned in to a nearby discussion.

"She probably would have, except that she was down in the holding cells with me when the Order was given," Saa explained as he folded his arms over his chest and finally turned his face toward Fives. "I take it you were there as well – on Medstar Five at some point, that is?"

"I was there when the Order came through, too," Fives nodded slowly. "On Level Six in the Physical Therapy Ward," the ARC reached down and rapped his knuckles on his right thigh. "I was still learning how to walk again."

Cody's eyes widened behind his visor.

_How extensive _are_ Fives' injuries?_ he wondered; it was a sobering question to ponder.

"I managed to get Chiyou out – she was with me when the Order came through. We ran into Kil and Rowin on Level One; Kil had just watched her twin brother get killed in his bed. We were all trying to get H-level – Rowin had a light freighter docked in the hangar, so we joined forces," he paused and turned to Sheresh, the scowl evident in his voice. "I thought we were all in this together, too...until _now_."

"Nothing's changed, Fives," Sheresh lifted her head up from her datapad, her own voice soft but assertive. "No one here means you or yours any harm."

"I'll believe that when the Rabbit convinces me otherwise," Fives replied sourly.

"He's about ten minutes south-west of here," Sheresh confirmed Cody's suspicion that the Lepi had commed in from the space-port. "The Imperial bombardment is beginning to move south-east; he's going to give it about five minutes to let them move a sufficient distance from the port, before he starts moving this way," she glanced up from her datapad, which she'd been typing on even while talking. "He'll meet us here – but we need to figure out where to go once our forces all join up. The Imps will move ground troops into this sector before too long."

"We've got a while to go," Cody interjected with his experience; it made him uncomfortable to realize just how much he _did_ know about Imperial tactics – and why – but he wasn't about to be silent, if it meant that his knowledge might give them an advantage. "It's standard Imperial procedure to bomb a city, then move in troops, then force it into blackout. As long as we can move before the blackout is established," he paused and glanced at Fives. "We should be able to move our group with some amount of speed and safety."

"Move them _where?_" Fives challenged, his back straight and his fists clenched on top of his knees.

"Our only option is Mydwyth..." Saa managed to start before Cody cut him off.

"We can't make that distance quickly on foot," the former commander vetoed the idea before it could even begin to take shape. "Especially not if we have a ten year old child with us. We need transport," he, in turn, looked toward Sheresh.

"The _Daa'sun's Kryst'shun_ is a lost cause," she shook her head slowly, even as her fingers continued to move over the 'pad in her hands. "It was already damaged after its encounter with the Imps on Ord Mantell and in Korynth; after the bombing raid here, it would take a miracle to move it again."

"I wonder who's fault _that_ is," Fives grumbled loudly, but Sheresh continued to ignore him.

"Rowin and I came into the city on speeder bikes, but those are probably smoldering heaps of slag at this point."

"I thought Hella made contact with you two in Korynth. Surely the two of you didn't travel over the _mountains_ on speeder bikes," Saa frowned as he gently ferreted out the further truth of Sheresh's conspicuously absent transportation.

"We left our ship in the care of _vode_ from Clan Kelborn," to her credit, Sheresh didn't try to evade Saa's silent request for the truth; she lifted her head and jerked her armored chin vaguely toward the north-west. "They have a large _vheh'yaime_ outpost in the foothills – just four or five families and a few Anobian locals."

"Ah," Saa nodded thoughtfully and Cody could tell that he was trying to place the location in his memory. "Sol'yc Kelborn's family, is it?"

"Yes. We made arrangements with Sol'yc before traveling down here to Cree'dee," she glanced toward Fives. "We had hoped to bring the fugitives back to his outpost until we could come up with a good plan for relocation."

"Good man, Sol'yc," Saa spoke rather quickly and Cody suspected it was to cut off anything Fives might have wanted to say; he rubbed his well-trimmed goatee thoughtfully. "Him and I were partners once or twice in our youth. No love for the Empire there, I'm sure."

"None whatsoever," Sheresh confirmed in a rather dry tone that Cody was sure had been directed toward the silent Fives. "We arrived in his _vheh'yaime_ just in time to witness a funeral. His eldest son was just recently killed during in a skirmish with the Imperials on Mandalore. The Kelborns are _all s_taunch supporters of the Mand'alor and his stand against the Empire."

There was a profound silence, during which not even Fives spoke. Cody fiddled with the strap of his canteen and mused over the wealth of information that had been exchanged in just mere minutes. His ruminations were interrupted, however, by Fives, who wasn't about to let all of his questions go unanswered.

"I thought the title of Mand'alor died with Jango Fett," the name was practically a curse on his lips.

"Rumor has it that two ARCs like yourself have since revived it," Sheresh replied quickly – this was clearly a topic of considerable interest to her. "I don't know all the details about that and perhaps they're simply rumors. But, Fenn Shysa is our Mand'alor now and his stance against the Empire is particularly unapologetic. Though...I will admit that news of his resistance on Mandalore hasn't yet traveled to all of the clans."

Cody listened to the current turn in the conversation with no small amount of fascination. This was the first time that he had heard anything about current Mandalorian politics; by the look of surprise on Saa's face, it was the first time he had, as well.

"How do you know about it, then?" Saa quirked an inquisitive red eyebrow and then added – "Besides finding out that Sol'yc's son was killed in a skirmish?"

"That's is actually how I found out," Sheresh shrugged and finally set her datapad down on her armored thighs. "Because of the Empire's strict censorship, reliable news is hard to come by these days. If you don't get it from the source, you can practically bet that you won't know any truth at all. It's unfortunate that Sol'yc lost his son, but in some ways, it's good to know the truth so that we can pass it along to others. I think several of the Mando clans around Cree'dee know about our new Mand'alor and his political position – but only because they had representatives at the funeral. I don't think the news has traveled far outside of Mandalore."

"That's a mighty important thing to know, though," Saa frowned deeply and Cody could tell that something of a plan was beginning to lay root in his fertile mind. "Might be advantageous for some of us _alor_ to send members of our clans to Mandalore to find out what's going on."

"It would, indeed," Sheresh agreed, but then she held out her hands wide, as if in hopeless supplication. "But, all the clans that I've met in my travels are short on funds and even shorter on cohesiveness. Many of our _alor_ died during the Wars and the influence of the Empire's greed has overwhelmed some of our better values. There are still many who think that we are without a Mandalore and have resorted to lawlessness as a result. The Empire's censorship doesn't help matters. As small as Clan Par'jain is, it's one of the few clans outside of Mandalore that still answer to any leadership at all and one of the few who might still prove loyal to the Resol'nare."

"Ffft," Saa pushed a sigh of aggravation out between his teeth and scrubbed a hand over his face. "Well, I suppose I can't worry about the state of other clans at the moment. But, I think a long talk with Sol'yc is long over-due. He's next-in-line for Kelborn _alor_ isn't he?"

"When his uncle dies, yes," Sheresh nodded.

"Perhaps I should have a talk with his uncle, too. Or tell Hella to pull him aside – I think Beviin lives in Korynth, doesn't he?"

"I don't know," Sheresh shook her head and shrugged. "That'd probably be a better question for Sol'yc or Hella."

"Noted," Saa rubbed his chin again, a far-away look in his dark eyes. "In any event...we should probably send word to the Mand'alor and soon. Let him know that Clan Par'jain is loyal to the Resol'nare...and to him."

"Against the Empire?" Fives piped up, his tone bordering on incredulous.

"Yes," Saa suddenly fixed the ARC with a look that Cody was quite familiar with; a part of him chuckled inwardly to see the Mandalorian's paternal side surface in authoritative opposition to Fives' belligerence. "Amazing what you find out when you decide to listen, isn't it, _ad'ika_?"

Fives growled and Cody started to laugh – a fact, he was sure, wouldn't put him in any better stead with his brother. But, it was strangely nice to see Saa pick on someone else. He couldn't help a chuckle or two at Fives' expense - though, his mirth cost him, as it made him short of breath and caused a web of pain to flare throughout his chest.

"_Really_, Fives," Cody decided it might be best to accompany his laughter with words; he paused to catch his breath, grinned beneath his helmet, and waved his hand toward Saa and Sheresh. "You're among friends."

"You said you don't and never _would_ hold loyalty to the Empire," Fives' tone was just as abrasive as ever; his words were back to being both direct and combative.

He was also back to hounding Cody about his past, having decided, apparently, to ignore the former commander's insistence that he was safe. There was certainly one thing that could be said of Fives – he was persistent in ferreting out the truth.

"And you've confirmed that you have at least a physical relationship with Healer Marr – a Jedi and wife to one of the ARCs I've ever had the honor of meeting," the ARC added, his tone as hostile as ever.

Cody felt a pang shoot through his heart as Saa dipped his head at Fives' high – if indirect – praise.

"But, I know about Sarrish. And Utapau. And Bellassa," Fives practically spat out the last planet's name and Cody winced underneath his borrowed _buy'ce_. "How can you _possibly_ disavow loyalty to the Empire?"

"I ran into Tay in Korynth – Saa brought her here to his home planet after the fallout at Medstar Five," Cody replied to Fives in a rather round-about way after several moments of contemplative silence. "I deserted after Bellassa. I couldn't live with myself – with what I'd done. She found me and cleaned me up," he shrugged and opened his hand wide, palms up. "She gave me a choice to stay in Korynth, slave to my addictions, or to go with her to her home in the countryside. I made my choice and this is where it's brought me."

The ache in his chest grew with each breath, with each word. But, as Cody reached up and rub the dented armor over his heart, he wondered if there was another layer of pain that had nothing to do with the duracrete that had slammed into him earlier. There was a pain deeper than what was physical - it was a raw, aching, oozing wound that no amount of time had managed to fully heal. Fives' interrogation seemed to rip the pieces of Cody's past apart and left him breathless.

"Addictions?" Fives cocked his head to the side and for once, his voice wasn't one of condemnation; rather, he seemed genuinely curious.

"When I deserted, I found employment with the Anobis Mining Company. Fell into an abusive cycle with stims and alcohol. Tay found me in a bar – in _Saa's_ bar, actually," Cody nodded toward the older merc, who stood silent, his head bowed. "I'd still be there still, if it weren't for her."

"So...you basically deserted because of a guilty conscious?" Fives was back to being condescending and judgmental.

Cody just nodded. It was the truth and he wasn't going to deny it. He hadn't deserted for any noble goals, for any lingering loyalty to the Republic or to the ideals of freedom. "Commander Cody" had deserted because he hadn't been able to live with himself; he hadn't been able to wake up each morning and look himself in the mirror. He had made something noble of himself since then – but the beginnings of his path toward rebellion were anything but honorable.

"And I'm supposed to _trust_ you?" Fives hissed – clearly, the ARC's forgiveness was not going to be as easily given as Obi-Wan's. "A man who deserts simply because he can't face what he's done?"

Cody grimaced beneath the security of Yln's _buy'ce_. He rubbed his chest again, and tried to collect both his breath and his thoughts. Another voice piped up on his behalf, however, sparing him the agony of speaking of again - for the moment, at least.

"Cody might not have been able to face what he had done at the time of his desertion," Saa surprised Cody by suddenly lifting his head and fixing Fives with a stern gaze. "But, he's been forced to face himself since then."

"How?" Fives was ever the challenger, unwilling to accept anything that was said at face value.

Cody actually had to respect that about him. He had never known Fives to be truly naive – easygoing once, perhaps. But never, ever, naive.

"I met General Kenobi on a trip with Saa to Tatooine," Cody answered after a brief pause; he met Fives head-on, through the darkened visors of their helmets. "He boarded our ship for passage to Bellassa. We went with him; fought with him; protected him."

"General Kenobi's_ alive?_" Fives' voice changed yet again – this time, incredulous hope crept into his voice, a note of disbelief. "I thought you'd killed him!"

Cody frowned behind his helmet. He supposed it couldn't be helped – the Force only knew what rumors abounded throughout the galaxy at that moment, thanks to the chaos of Order 66 and the enforced silence of the Empire. But, it still irked him to know that the truth of Utapau wasn't wide-spread knowledge.

"Haven't you seen the Wanted Lists? Of _course_ he's alive – he's one of the most Wanted sentients in the galaxy!" Cody huffed a bit despite himself.

"I haven't been _able_ to see the Wanted Lists," Fives shook his head, his voice dark again. "I've been too busy keeping my crew and myself alive to worry about about anyone else. We've had to run on silent communications for almost a year, to avoid detection from the Imps."

His head swiveled toward Sheresh and Cody knew where the conversation was now headed. Truth be told, he was a bit curious himself to hear what the Lepi, Rowin, had to say about the current state of affairs between Sheresh, him, and Fives. There was bad blood between them, that was for sure – but whether it was warranted or not, seemed to be under quite a considerable amount of debate.

Fives, however, surprised Cody, but not getting distracted by a verbal bunny trail; he persisted with the current line of conversation. The ARC's next question was rather hard-hitting.

"And what did General Kenobi do when he ran into you again? I'm surprised he didn't kill you."

"He almost did," Cody replied with quiet honesty. "Ironically enough, it was mention of Tay that stayed his hand. As for what he said when it was all said and done...well..." Cody paused, the weight of Obi-Wan's memory both a comfort and a curse to him. "He forgave me."

This didn't appear to be the answer that Fives was expecting, though the ARC rolled with the new-found information rather well, considering the circumstances. As it was, he said nothing about Obi-Wan's grace; Cody was privately thankful for his brother's silence. The General's forgiveness was a highly personal thing to him and it was almost painful to share it with a brother who was so determined to distrust him.

"And Tay...does she know what you've done? About Bellassa? About Waxer?" Fives was almost mocking in his persistence.

"Yes," Cody was humbled by his own admission; the forgiveness of Jedi would forever be his salvation and his simultaneous condemnation. "She knows about everything I've ever been."

"And she _still_ allows you to sleep in her bed?" Fives was both derisive and disbelieving.

"Well, our physical relationship_ is _a rather new development," Cody reached up and ruefully rubbed the back of his neck. "But...yes..."

"Tay had a heart for Cody when he was nothing more than a drunk _dar'manda_," Saa spoke Cody's old nickname for the first time in months; the merc's mouth quirked upward in a dry smile. "If you know anything about Tay – as you claim, ARC – then you'd know that she has the power to see sentients for who they can become and can then inspire then to become that better vision."

A distant rumble echoed lazily through the earth beneath their feet, reminding them all that the Empire was still circling around them, that it was still trying to flush them out. Cody lifted his head toward the ceiling out of sheer habit, even though he couldn't see the fires or the fighters beyond their duracrete shelter. Fives was oddly silent and Cody turned his attention toward his brother just in time to see the ARC run his mechanical hand thoughtfully over what Cody now assumed was his prosthetic leg.

The former commander didn't need to be psychic in order to know what could possibly be going through Fives' mind in that moment. His brother was, no doubt, remembering the moments when he didn't have either his arm or his leg – the moments when surely he had met Tay himself on Medstar Five, when she must have inspired him to hold onto life and to forge himself anew.

"I know what Healer Marr is capable of," Fives' solemn admission proved what Cody suspected. "I wouldn't be alive if it weren't for her."

"Neither would I," Cody struggled to take a breath and to keep his voice steady in spite of his pain.

His words, however softly spoken, echoed Fives' own sentiment; the two brothers lifted their armored heads to consider each other silently through their tinted visors...

And, in that moment, they finally found the tie that bound them.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** _I was going to wait until tomorrow to post...but then decided I was too impatient. LOL So, here's the fruit of my NaNoWriMo labor, folks - a fast update (and more to come!). I've added 12,691 words to "Rebellion" since the start of this month, and there's already another finished chapter waiting to be posted (I'll probably post Friday or Saturday). If I keep this up, I should be ahead about two chapters or more through this month...which means you can probably expect updates about twice a week._

_A LOT of love and thanks to **laloga** - without her help and encouragement, I would be doing NaNoWriMo at all and "Rebellion" would probably still be struggling. You've got a lot to thank her for, folks! (And who am I kidding? I have a lot to thank her for, myself!) Our happy coincidence of living in the same town has really helped my Muse come back to life. **laloga** - expect a big ole' random hug one of these days! LOL_

_Lots of thanks and warm hugs to those of you who keep reading and reviewing. You, too, keep me going, so please keep those reviews coming in! Thanks to **Codywolf**, **LongLivetheClones**, **laloga, **and **Admiral Daala.** I hope this story continues to delight and deliver up to your expectations!_

_By the way...there's a LOT of dialogue in the next chapter or so...and a lot of little plot twists! I'm trying to keep everything straight WHILE writing at NaNo speed...so if you spot any inconsistencies, let me know. Also...if you haven't read the **"Fidelity"** chapter of "**Virtues From A Certain Point of View**", I would do so before I post the next chapter. ;-)_

___Love it? Like it? Hate it? Lemme know...!_


	8. Wretches & Kings4

"_If you haven't yet heard, then I'm letting you know/ There ain't shit we don't run when the guns unload. / And no one make a move unless my people say so! / Got everything outta control; / Now everybody, go!"_

"**Wretches and Kings"**

**Linkin Park**

* * *

><p>A contemplative silence fell among the four as they sat in their darkened shelter and listened to the fighters shift their focus toward another, more distant, section of Cree'dee. Each seemed lost in his or her own thoughts; Sheresh fiddled with her datapad, Fives leaned back against the wall and lifted his visor toward the ceiling, Saa paced back and forth without a word, and Cody quietly longed for the taste of Tay's lips and the comforting warmth of her body.<p>

It felt as if everything that needed to be said among them had already been spoken. Fives was still suspicious – Cody could tell that in the set of his broad shoulders and the unforgiving rigidity of his back. He had no illusions about his brother's focus, either; while Fives' visor might have been pointed toward the ceiling, Cody was more than familiar with the view-range of a Phase II helmet HUD. His brother was watching them – just as certainly as they all were watching him.

Past choices, sins, and memories seemed to whisper in the darkness around them. Cody crossed his arms over his chest and thought of Waxer for the first time in nearly a year. He remembered the affable scout's ready smile and how quick he'd always been to make a friend. For all the death that he had seen – for all the death that he had visited personally on others – Waxer had managed to make it through the Wars with most of his humanity intact. In retrospect, Cody was certain that it had something to do with the close relationship Waxer shared with Boil and with the infrequent letters that would occasionally come, addressed to them both.

Cody had glimpsed a picture from one of those letters, once. He hadn't been exactly certain of the picture's subject matter, drawn as it was by childish hands. But, best guess assumed that it was a picture of a nerf, or a bantha, or some other domesticated creature. Why Boil and Waxer had been sent the picture of a nerf, Cody would never know – but it had made his two troopers insanely happy. He would always remember the goofy grin that would lift the corners of Waxer's mouth whenever he held those child-scrawled pictures in his gloved and often-violent hands.

_Waxer,_ Cody fought the urge to bury his helmeted face in his hands_. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry._

He should have never given that fateful command to fire on that Jedi and his padawan. He should have never given the order to execute Order 66 on a young Rutian Twi'lek. Cody never doubted that it was the skin color and age of that Twi'lek youngling that had made Waxer waver in a moment of indecision – a moment that ultimately cost him his life.

And it didn't matter to Cody that it was Waxer's indecision that lead to his untimely decapitation at the hands of that young padawan. The fault still lay in his own hands, in his own mouth, in the command that he had given to execute the Jedi who's only crime had been to survive the initial slaughter of their Order.

Cody mulled over the past and longed for a shot of whiskey, for a shot of stims, and – most of all – for the comfort of Tay's soft hands. He squeezed his eyes shut behind his visor and tried to force himself to think about the night before, when he had followed her to her bedroom. He tried to push Waxer out of his mind and fill the void with the memories of Tay's welcoming arms and ardent passion.

His attempts were particularly unsuccessful. Guilt weighed heavily at his heart and in those moments, all he could long for was Fives' lost respect and for Waxer's wasted life.

* * *

><p>"Whoa, there," a twangy voice pulled Cody out of his dark reminiscence and into the present.<p>

It had been several long minutes since they had all fallen silent; several minutes longer, too, since Cody's thoughts had turned to Waxer. The former commander lifted his head abruptly at the introduction of a new voice and realized – with considerable annoyance at himself – that he had failed to notice the arrival of three new bodies.

The tall, lanky figure framed against the moonlight and the flame flickering just beyond the warehouse doorway was positively unmistakable. Even without the erect ears of every picture of his kind that Cody had ever seen, the narrow-shouldered, big-footed silhouette wasn't hard to identify as belonging to a Lepi.

Fives had moved from his position against the wall and Cody realized that the second silhouette framed in the doorway belonged to the hyper-vigilant ARC. Saa hadn't moved much from where he'd been pacing, though his attention was toward the door and his hand had already pulled his blaster free from its holster. Sheresh, too, had struggled to her feet – though she kept her blaster secured and only held out her hand toward Fives in supplication to hold his fire.

"It's okay, Fives – it's Rowin," Sheresh's voice was forced, but soothing, as if she was trying to talk down a particularly vicious beast.

"Kil, Numa," Fives ignored both Sheresh and Rowin and directed his address toward the two figures hovering behind the Lepi. "Is that you?"

"_Nerra_!" a female youngling's voice cut through the tension and a small form launched itself toward the ARC.

For a moment, Cody held his breath, afraid that Fives' aggressive training would react poorly to the unannounced movement. But, Fives responded positively to the wavering voice and before Cody could blink, the ARC's blaster was out from under the Lepi's chin and back in its appropriate holster. Fives immediately took a knee and held out his arms toward the moving shadow that propelled itself toward his chest. Cody blinked in surprise as a side of Fives that he had never seen before suddenly surfaced – the side of a nurturing_ older_brother.

"Numa!" the clone closed his arms around the small frame that settled against his shoulder with a muffled sob.

Another shadow moved and this time Cody assumed that it was the female named 'Kilia'. Another memory stirred in the back of his head and he frowned at his HUD, suddenly distracted.

_Kilia...Kilia..._ it was oddly familiar. _Where have I heard that name before?_

The clone blinked his eyes and activated his night-vision for a second time that evening, in the hopes of perhaps gaining a better grasp of the situation. He couldn't really see around Fives, who had his back toward the inside of the warehouse, and the woman-named-Kilia was now kneeling on the ground in front of the ARC. Rowin moved toward the side, in what appeared to be an attempt to give Fives, Kilia, and Numa a little more space, but that didn't afford Cody a better line of vision.

"I thought you were d-d-dead!" Numa wailed into Fives' armored chest; Cody could see her thin arms wrap tight around the ARC's neck.

"Shhhhh, Numa," Fives tightened his own grip on the slender Twi'lek and struggled to his feet.

The adult female crouching down in front of him reached out and grabbed his elbow. With her help, Fives stood up, his arms still full of crying youngling. Cody noticed movement to his left and he turned to see Sheresh pull her own arm back, as if she had just stepped forward to help Fives and then thought better of it. He wondered a moment, then, about the female Mandalorian, and about the antagonistic connection that seemed to keep her and Fives at hostile odds.

There was a history between them – though of what depth or length, Cody couldn't say. In fact, as he watched the drama unfold in front of him, he mused that the biggest problem facing them all – besides the Empire – was the fact that neither Fives nor Sheresh seemed willing to discuss their past interactions. Rowin seemed to be obliging enough to spell out the obvious, but time wasn't in his favor. Caught as they were between the Imperials and a hard place, now was not the moment to be unraveling convoluted interpersonal intrigues.

Fives was the first individual to turn away from the doorway and Cody could see the features of his helmet highlighted in bright shades of green through his night-vision. It was a bit of a start for him to see just how much Numa had grown; even though she had her face buried in Fives' neck, she was clearly bigger and her lekku longer than the last time she had crossed paths with Cody. Albeit, they had only met once, and very briefly at that – but Cody had fixed his memory of her as a thin, slightly-undernourished five year old with bright eyes and an even brighter smile. She still looked thin, especially in contrast to the extra breadth afforded to Fives' shoulder by his pauldron, but Cody could see slender curves that hadn't been there before.

The hints to Numa's impending womanhood surprised him, but he recalled reading somewhere – probably in some Kamino manual – that maturation occurred at an earlier age in Twi'lek females, in comparison to their human and near-human counterparts. It was one of the many reasons why they had long been favorite victims of the galactic slave trade; Cody nearly kicked himself for remembering such a morbid tid-bit and looked uncomfortably away from the oddly familial scene unfolding in front of him.

_Fives has his hands full, that's for sure_, the thought stirred something deep inside Cody that he had never felt before – he suddenly felt a yearning for something that he couldn't name or place.

Suddenly, he longed for what it seemed Fives had found. For a family – for something small and helpless to defend. The instinct to protect was inherent in nearly every clone; Cody wasn't sure if it was something passed down in Jango Fett's genetics, or if it was a by-product of how they had been raised, dependent on each other in their own tight-knit brotherhood.

He wasn't sure, either, how Fives and Numa could have become so close; as far as he knew, they had never had contact during the Wars. In fact, Cody wasn't so sure that Fives would have ever had contact with either Waxer or Boil in the line of duty – while the 501st often worked together with other units, scouts of all battalions often operated like many of the special forces clones, independent of their larger commands. The former commander realized with a slight mixture of surprise, that Fives and Numa must have met through Boil – and that both Boil and Numa must have been members of the crew for some significant amount of time. Either that, or Numa had simply imprinted on Fives in replacement of Waxer...

Cody winced at the thought. And here was yet another who had suffered because of his thoughtless orders, because of his blind loyalty to a programmed "duty". The former commander struggled to push a sigh out through slightly clenched teeth and absently pressed his hand to his side, where a dull ache had begun to pierce through muscle and bone. Tonight, it seemed, all the remaining ghosts from his past were finally drifting to the surface, no longer content to lay forgotten and unredressed.

Sudden movement drew his attention back to the matter at hand and Cody glanced up just in time to see who he assumed to be Kilia suddenly grab the Lepi by the arm. Every adult body in the shelter stiffened – Saa, who was in Cody's direct line of sight, even reached reflexively toward his blasters – but mere seconds proved that there was no need for the alarm.

Kilia wordlessly pulled the Lepi into an embrace similar to that which Numa had given to Fives. After a shocked moment, where his paws hung uncertainly at his side, Rowin reached up and pulled what appeared to be a human woman into an even tighter embrace.

"I'm sorry for leavin', Kil," Rowin's heavily accented Basic echoed softly across the walls as everyone else looked silently on. "I-I just didn't know what to do with all ya're pain."

Kil said nothing, but she seemed to tighten her arms around the Lepi's narrow shoulders. There was a brief sniffling sort of sound as Rowin pulled away from his companion just long enough to reach up and wipe the back of a paw across his whiskers.

"I thought maybe I could help keep ya' safe, y'know? Doin' what I've always done...huntin' down the bad guys. I-I've just been tryin' to help, tryin' to find some place you can call 'home', if even for just a bit," a distant boom rattled the walls and Rowin looked sorrowfully up toward the ceiling, his oddly lopped ears pressed a little closer against his skull. "Guess I've managed to make a mess of things anyway, huh?"

Kil said nothing, but she let go of Rowin and began to make a series of complicated hand motions in the space between them. This caught the Lepi's immediate attention and the Rabbit's eyes followed the woman's slender hands closely. He nodded every moment or so and then a wide smile suddenly broke across his face. A few seconds later he "interrupted" Kil by grabbing a hold of her shoulders and pulling her back into an enthusiastic embrace.

"What just happened?" Sheresh ventured cautiously after a moment or two of puzzled silence.

Cody, too, was rather perplexed. He could only infer from her hand signals that Kil was unable to talk, but he was unfamiliar with her silent "language". As a result, he couldn't even begin to unravel Rowin's seemingly one-sided conversation.

"She says that she's been frustrated with me, but there's no need to worry. She never doubted me for a second and she's sure that there's a good explanation for everything, despite appearances being what they are," the gigantic rabbit hugged Kil a second time before finally letting her go.

Fives somehow managed to convey his skepticism perfectly, despite having an armful of youngling.

"Well, I'm glad that makes _one_of us," his tone was dry, but not half as hostile as it had been before; Cody rather suspected that having Numa safe in his arms was a major contributor to his brother's slight shift in attitude.

Fives was still wary, however – Cody could tell that by his body language. He held Numa tight against his body, too, as if to challenge anyone who might foolishly try to take her away from him. Cody eyed the grip Fives had on the youngling and decided that – as far as he was concerned – it was probably safer to try and get between a mother nexu and her cub. Fives had the stance of a man who would commit unspeakable atrocities without a second's qualm, if it meant keeping his newly-reunited Numa safe from harm.

He was as fierce as Cody imagined Waxer would be, if in Fives' place. And, for all the misery and turmoil he felt over the wasted loss of Numa's "_nerra_", the former commander couldn't help think that the young Twi'lek had found a worthy surrogate.

"You've got a lot of questions to answer, Rabbit," Fives continued, oblivious to Cody's silent observations and musings. "I suggest you start _now_."

"I suggest he _doesn't_," Cody suddenly piped up; he lifted a gloved hand in warning and motioned solemnly toward the ceiling. "And _listen_, Fives, before you argue."

The ARC snarled quietly underneath his helmet, but to Cody's mild surprise, he obeyed. Silence fell among them all and Cody's point was eloquently made in the stillness that permeated their surroundings.

"The bombings have stopped. I can't even hear a fighter overhead anymore," his voice was raspy thanks to his chest wound, but his words were harder than Mandalorian iron. "They're going to move the troops in soon...if they haven't already."

"We need to get moving," Saa succinctly concluded Cody's train of thought.

Fives swore in a language Cody hadn't even _heard_before. He lifted an eyebrow, mildly impressed by the range of the ARC's linguistic capabilities. Though...Cody did have to question the use of such language so close to the impressionable memory of a youngling.

"How the 'fek are we going to out-pace Imperial storm troopers?" Fives turned abruptly toward Sheresh; his face was hidden by his helmet, but Cody could well imagine his brother's eyes flashing in fierce indignation. "And where, exactly, are we supposed to _go_?"

"I already told you," everyone could hear Sheresh grit her teeth in aggravation.

Cody stifled a sigh and wondered if the tension between the Mandalorian and his ARC brother would ever subside – _without_resulting in blows.

"I've already made arrangements with Sol'yc Kelborn and his family. If you'll follow us, Rowin and I can lead all of you to their _vheh'yaime_in the foothills just north-west of here. There's more than enough room there for all of us and more than enough Mandalorian hospitality to go around."

"An excellent idea, _ad'ika_," Saa broke his own silence and moved just a few steps over to put his hand on Sheresh's shoulder. "The Kelborns are well known for their hospitality...and for their unquestioning loyalty in a fight. However," the older merc paused and turned his back slightly on Sheresh in order to wave his hand at the small group gathered around her. "The good Captain has a point. How can we out-pace Imperial storm troopers with a child, two wounded, and our bad legs?" he pointed a finger toward his own leg and then at Sheresh's. "The only sentient capable of making a march right now is the rabbit."

"I could make it," Fives puffed out his chest and stood a little straighter. "My hand doesn't keep me from walking."

"No...but Cody's chest inhibits him," Saa turned yet again and transfered his hand from Sheresh's shoulder to the clone's.

"Kil would like to know something," Rowin wiggled his nose and shuffled a bit to the left so Kil could finally be seen by all the others.

Cody considered her in the green illumination offered to him by his night-vision. She was a woman of medium height, with long dark hair tied back into a loose ponytail. She had aquiline features, with a high forehead, a nose that looked like it had been broken once or twice, and sharp cheekbones. Her eyes were bright with intelligence, though, and alert; they never stopped moving as she looked around the group, from sentient to sentient. The clone realized a bit belatedly, that her hands were moving at about the height of her chest, in place of her own voice.

"She knows it's a bit off-topic, but she'd like to know everyone's name before she starts walking through the snow with us," Rowin translated with an ease that bespoke how well the two knew each other. "She knows Fives, and Numa, and me, of course – but you three," Rowin's paw mimicked Kil's own hand as she motioned toward the representative Mandalorians. "Are strangers."

"Sergeant Shereshoy Par'jain," Sheresh answered immediately, unabashed and undeterred by Kil's slightly untimely request; she dipped her head slightly at the other female in polite acquiescence.

"Saa Par'jain – chief of Clan Par'jain," Saa came next in line with a slight bow that was oddly quaint of him; he motioned briefly to Sheresh. "The good sergeant here is my daughter-in-law."

"And I'm Cody," the clone paused, suddenly uncertain; it didn't feel right to call himself "Commander", not anymore.

Saa filled in the awkward silence for him; his rough, battle-scarred hand tightened warmly on Cody's shoulder.

"Also of Clan Par'jain."

Cody – who was still sitting and trying to rest from his injury – looked up in silent shock. Saa merely smiled a brief, but genuine smile and patted him once, twice on his shoulder. Now was not the time to ask Saa questions or to really acknowledge the significance of what had just been bestowed upon him, so Cody only dipped his head respectfully at his elder; he felt his heart swell with a deep pride and an abiding humility.

"You've met my companions – my crew," Rowin continued to translate Kil's rapid hand motions; the fluidity with which she "talked" was enough to make Cody's eyes blur.

He also couldn't help but be impressed by the apparent bond between human and Lepi. Rowin barely had to look at Kil, to know what she was trying to say.

"Fives," Kil pointed and Rowin spoke. "Numa. Rowin. I'm Kilia Tharen, captain of the late_ Daa'sun's Kryst'shun_. I was also once a Jedi Knight."

Cody focused on Kil with a sharp and sudden interest. Her name finally clicked and he now recalled the holo-cast he had listened to in the darkening hallway of Mal's Tatooine home. Kil had been named and identified directly by the Wanted Lists as a fugitive of the law; Cody realized with great sobriety, that the stakes had just been raised much higher than he had ever expected.

A clone deserter was one thing. A fugitive _Jedi_was an entirely different kind of danger.

"Kil agrees that our situation might look hopeless, but surely there's a solution to which we can arrive. We're focusing too much on our physical limitations. But, we have three Mandalorians," Rowin's voice followed Kil's pointing fingers for a second time. "An ARC captain, a smuggler, and a Jedi Knight. Surely we've all faced greater odds before as mere individuals."

There was a brief pause, during which all present considered the weight of Kil's motivation and the hope of her suggestion.

Then, a new voice joined the conversation and even Saa stiffened like prey in a hunter's sights.

"Well put. But I'll match your Knight, your Mandos, and your ARC – and raise you one assassin."

A shadow detached itself from the deeper shadows along the far end of the warehouse walls. A figure in black matte armor stepped arrogantly into the weak light offered by the open doorway – and five blasters automatically aimed toward the intruder's torso.

A low, dark chuckle raised the hairs on the back of Cody's head as the black-armored figure raised his hand, fingers splayed out like a puppeteer's. He waved lazily toward the left...

Five blasters scattered across the length of the warehouse and clattered impotently against the duracrete walls.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** _Oh, the drama! But, never fear, dear reader! NaNoWriMo is upon us...and the next chapter is all but written. I know I'm spoiling you all with the speed of these updates - but enjoy them while they last!_

_I've really enjoyed reading everyone's reviews the last few chapters; thanks for all the amazing support! This "arc" has been really hard for me to write, because so much is being introduced here and so much of the following story hinges on what takes place in these most recent chapters. There's a lot of new characters...a lot of moving parts...and a lot of dialogue. Thanks for letting me know that I'm doing a good job and keeping things straight! :) It is very, very warmly appreciated._

_Also...the suspense builds! And there's probably going to be a few places were you wonder about what's going on, or if there's a contradiction in the story-line. But never fear! Because of where Cody and company find themselves, it's not very plausible for them to have long conversations explaining all of their individual back-stories. One of the reasons these last couple of chapters have been a challenge, is because I've had to find a balance between giving just enough information for all of the characters to keep from killing each other...without giving too much away. So, bear in mind that all of the information the characters share with each other, are just snippets of larger stories. We'll get to the truth of everything, once they get safely to Sol'yc's foothill outpost._

_Many warm and wonderful thanks to **Codywolf**, **Long****LiveTheClones**, **Kiana Tavers-Mereel**, and **laloga**. :) You guys rock awesome-sauce (and such awesome reviews to boot! Thank you!) An extra-special thanks to **laloga **who beta-ed this chapter and most of the next one, even though she's working on her own NaNoWriMo endeavors. *massive hugs* Thank you, hon!_

_Love it? Like it? Hate it? Lemme know...!_


	9. Wretches & Kings5

_"Steel unload / final blow. / We the animals take control! / Hear us now / clear and true - / Wretches and kings, we come for you."_

"**Wretches and Kings"**

**Linkin Park**

* * *

><p>"Korbin!" Fives hissed; Cody was tempted to glance briefly at his brother, but everything he needed to know about the ARC's frame of mind was expressed in the vehemence of that single name.<p>

Fives was furious...and _worried_. From the moment of their unnatural "birth", all clones lived with each other in a sea of identical faces. The only thing that set them apart was the pitch of their voices and the subtle nuances of their words. Cody had learned, from the time that he was old enough to wear a helmet, to gather as much inflection, emotion, and information from his brothers with nothing more to go on than a few words via comlink. So, it didn't matter that Fives' face was covered, or that Cody's visual attention was focused solely on the equally armored figure in front of them – he could tell that the stranger's appearance unnerved his stalwart brother.

And that, more than the assassin's unannounced entrance, unsettled Cody's own confidence.

"For the sake of introductions, it's_ Captain _Korbin," the new arrival rocked back on his heels and folded his arms over his armored chest.

He practically exuded arrogance and Cody found himself gritting his teeth in irritation. It was one thing to be confident, but unwarranted pretension had always raised his hackles. Though...Cody's eyes moved across his HUD to consider his blaster, which had been Force-thrown far out of easy reach...the captain's inflated sense of self-importance was not entirely without cause.

He glanced at a corner of his visor and blinked to increase his field of vision. The range in front of him shifted to include a complete 360-degree view and Cody considered the silent Kilia. She had identified herself as a former Jedi, but the clone was now left feeling a bit stumped. He had seen Jedi in action against whole armies of droids and he knew what even a mere padawan with her lightsaber could do – Cody couldn't help wonder why Kil stood as if transfixed.

_Where's her lightsaber? Why isn't she fighting back?_

The assassin was clearly Force-sensitive and at least moderately well-trained; though it looked simple enough, the ability to throw five blasters simultaneously in differing directions was not an effortless trick. Cody remembered watching Ahsoka learn to manipulate multiple objects in the open-bay gym during their down-time on the _Resolute_. He also knew from talking to Rex - who had a better understanding of such things because of his friendship with the gregarious padawan - that even the flick of a Jedi's hand was a matter of calculated intent and control.

Cody didn't doubt that the captain could throw their bodies around with just as much ease. A trained Force-sensitive had the upper hand, even against five opponents. Of course, they could all rush and overwhelm him – but why risk almost certain injury when they had a Jedi Knight on their side? Former or not, Kil should have been able to open her own hand and send the assassin flying toward the nearest wall.

As puzzled as he was over Kilia's inaction, Cody didn't miss the subtle tension of Saa's arms and the almost imperceptible shift of the merc's body weight. Sheresh had done the same and Cody could tell that she was waiting for some sort of signal from the senior _alor. _Rowin reached forward and grasped Kil's forearm; the Lepi slowly pulled the former Jedi back and stepped forward to put himself between her and the assassin. Only Kil and Fives remained rooted to their positions – Cody had no earthly clue what the female's problem was, but Fives' inaction was easily explained. Numa still had her arms wrapped around his neck and her face buried in his shoulder; there was no way he was going to be able to set her down, without giving away his intentions.

It looked like the initial fight belonged in the hands of Sheresh, Saa, Cody, and Rowin. The former commander kept his posture loose, but slowly shifted his weight as well in preparation of a physical attack.

What the assassin did and said next derailed the impending charge before it even had a chance to start.

"I'd reconsider the wisdom of your intentions," the voice was dry and – Cody realized with a paradigm-shattering shock – eerily familiar. "And be thankful for Kilia's insistence on introductions. She's the only reason any of you will walk out of this building breathing."

"Wha-?" Rowin shook his ears and blinked, his whiskery face mirroring the dumbstruck confusion that Cody felt.

Korbin didn't explain himself, however; he simply stepped boldly into the middle of the group. He did, however, turn swiftly and grab Saa's hand. The sudden movement spooked both Sheresh and Cody, but before the female Mandalorian could react on behalf of her _alor_, the assassin had lifted his other hand. She went flying backwards a few feet and landed hard on the rubble-littered floor. Her cry of alarm echoed off of the walls, but Cody knew better than to move again. Korbin's restraint intrigued him – Cody knew how far the Force could hurl a human body and Sheresh's backward momentum had been shocking, but not deadly. It had been almost something of a nudge – a warning, but nothing more.

Korbin hadn't even really switched his attention away from Saa. The older merc grunted and something clattered to the floor. Cody saw that the assassin had deftly twisted the Mandalorian's wrist in a direction it hadn't ever been made to move – a classic disarming technique that could break bone if done swiftly.

Once again, the captain's restraint raised just as many questions as Kilia's continued uninvolvement. Saa's wrist was merely turned – just hard enough to force the merc to drop his knife, but not hard enough to break his bones, or even to sprain his joint.

"Think about this before any of you decide to make a stupid move," Korbin's voice was a deadly growl and the continued familiarity of his voice turned Cody's blood impossibly cold. "If I actually intended to do the job I was sent here to do, you all would have been dead before you ever knew I was here."

The captain let go of Saa's hand and turned back toward Kil; he roughly shouldered the merc as he passed by and Cody reached out to steady his mentor's strangely wavering feet. The cause for Saa's floundering became apparent, as the Mandalorian spoke aloud the realization Cody had already made in his own head.

"You're a clone!"

"The voice gives it away, doesn't it? I suppose I should be mildly impressed, old man," Korbin didn't even bother looking over his shoulder to address Saa; his attention was still singularly attached to Kil. "You've clearly spent enough time around clones to be perceptive."

"But...that's _impossible_!" Sheresh had recovered from her fall and was gingerly picking herself up from the floor – slowly, no doubt, to keep from catching Korbin's suspicion a second time.

The clone assassin stopped just in front of Rowin, who bristled threateningly, but otherwise kept still. Korbin never turned his face toward Sheresh, but the dark amusement in his voice seemed to mesmerize her all the same.

"Even the Cuy'val Dar didn't know about the cloning facilities in Timira City. The Kaminoans still keep secrets that you couldn't fathom, Sergeant," Korbin paused, as if for effect, then added harshly, "There's others like me – Force-sensitive clones. I just happen to be the only one that doesn't intend to kill you."

"You might not kill us...but Appo's clearly sent you down here to round us all up," Fives snapped; he was still holding Numa tight, but Cody could tell that he was spoiling for a fight. "You do all of his kriffin' dirty work every other time he snaps his fingers at you – what's so fekkin' different now?"

"I see my interrogation methods have added another level to your inherent paranoia," Korbin reached for something on his belt and every body stiffened; Cody glanced at Rowin and the Lepi had a gleam in his eye that clearly stated his intention to die, if it meant keeping Kilia safe from harm. "But, I'll point out to you, Captain, that you're neither dead, nor still handcuffed in one the _Pro Victoria_'s holding cells."

"And what the hells is that supposed to mean?" Fives demanded roughly.

"It means that clones tougher than you have found a highly coincidental death in the middle of my interrogations," Korbin finally pulled his hands up where everyone could see them; a cold chill crept down Cody's spine as a pair of lightsaber hilts glinted in the murky light. "Clones, incidentally, who have killed Jedi – which, so far as I know, you have not. And believe me," Korbin thumbed one of the 'sabers and a green blade hummed eerily to life. "I had a very thorough look at your record."

Not a single muscle moved, as an unearthly green light played across Rowin's face. The rabbit's eyes were wide in a mixture of fear and disbelief, but he stayed completely transfixed, unwilling to tempt that blade any closer to his body. Cody's frustration with Kilia had finally hit its peak – she had yet to draw an illicit blade of her own, or to exhibit any inclination whatsoever to use the Force in response to Korbin's almost-casual displays of power.

"It also means, Captain," Korbin continued to address Fives as if nothing unusual had just happened. "That no one has ever escaped Appo's grasp. Don't flatter yourself with the thought that you managed the impossible on your own."

"I don't believe it," Fives shook his head, his falsely blustering voice struggling to down-play the meaning of Korbin's words.

The assassin seemed completely unconcerned with Fives' struggle to accept his bold implications. Even Cody was flummoxed – Korbin had sauntered into their midsts with all the attitude of one who meant nothing but harm. Yet, he had done nothing truly violent so far, except to flaunt his unnatural ability as a veiled warning against any of their protective instincts. What the captain did next was so improbable, so unbelievable in its promise of hope, that it took Cody several long seconds before he could process the sincerity of Korbin's true intentions.

"I believe these belong to you now," Kil held out his hands – one blade still burning a brilliant Corellian emerald – and offered the twin lightsabers to Kilia.

The female Jedi-turned-space-captain put a slender hand on Rowin's arm and gently nudged him out of the way. The Lepi did as she silently asked, his face slack with desperate incredulity. Cody watched Kil's face for the truth of her emotions; there were tears in her eyes, which the clone had half-expected, as well as a look of disbelief. But, then she lifted her eyes from the glowing lightsaber that was held between her and Korbin, and something like recognition flashed across her face. That surprised Cody, as he hadn't expected there to be any sort of connection between the two; the fact that Korbin was offering her two lightsabers was curious enough, but the expression of hope that lifted up Kilia's face was even more puzzling.

She reached out her hand and Cody held his breath. Surely, now, she would take the 'sabers offered to her and render just due for the actions Korbin had made. But, Kil was – if anything – completely unpredictable. She simply put her hand around Korbin's larger, armored fingers, pressed her thumb against his, and deactivated the blade of gently droning jade.

Cody felt his jaw drop and he was thankful – as always – for the security of his helmet. He glanced at Saa and felt a bit better about his reaction – the merc was slack-jawed himself. Kil's actions were not the ones that any of them had anticipated.

Her curious silence continued, as she put both of her hands on Korbin's and gently pushed his fists down toward his belt. She pushed the offered lightsabers away from her and then lifted one hand to wave it twice in the air in front of Korbin's face. Her meaning was clear.

_"No."_

She let go of him completely, then, and Korbin was silent for several long heartbeats. He didn't speak again, until he had hooked the sabers back on his belt, where they had been to start with.

"Appo told me that you were with the _Daa'sun's Kryst'shun_, with the Lepi," Korbin continued to address Kilia; though his attention seemed fixed solely on her, everyone maintained their respective positions.

Cody doubted anyone had missed the familiarity with which Korbin had handled the lightsabers. In the absence of any inclination to use the Force on Kilia's part, it was wiser to see what else unfolded, before trying to take decisive action against the assassin a second time.

"And Captain Fives is right – I was sent down here to ferret you and the rest out. Appo figured it was a better use of our time, if I managed to catch you before the ground troops were sent in. But, if you'll trust me just a little bit, I'll make sure you and your companions get to safety tonight."

Kil's hands were the only movement; no one else seemed capable of movement. And even Kil only made a few slight movements; she seemed as shocked by Korbin's proclamation as everyone else.

"She wants to know why you're doing this?" Rowin's voice was a husky whisper.

Korbin said nothing for several minutes, but like Kil, his hands weren't idle. He reached out with his left hand and slowly reached behind her head. Kilia flinched and the Lepi hissed a wordless warning through his teeth, but Cody couldn't see what Korbin was doing until the space captain's long dark hair fell against her shoulders. Korbin moved his hand back where Cody could see it; he had loosely looped the tie that had held her hair around his gloved palm. Then he reached out again and slowly ran two of his fingers through a few stray locks of her newly-loosened hair. The assassin's gentleness was hard to miss and it was a poignant contrast to his previously displayed malevolence.

"Because I made a promise to be faithful," Korbin's voice had softened to a pitch Cody knew only too well – it was the kind of voice shared between lovers, in moments of darkness and intimacy. "And this is the only way I know how."

The captain's hand settled against Kil's cheek, and she didn't resist as he cupped her chin and lifted her face toward his faceless visor. Her eyes had grown wide and emotions that Cody couldn't place were warring across her slightly narrow face. But, she let the assassin bend his own head forward until his helmet touched her forehead; the only sound that broke the fragile silence was the sound of Sheresh shifting weight off of her bad leg.

"You look just like him," Korbin's voice was barely a whisper, but his words seemed to have a profound impact on Kilia.

Her whole body quivered and the hint of recognition that Cody had seen in her eyes before now blossomed into full realization. She said nothing, however – no explanation, no verbal acknowledgement of Korbin's confession. The former Jedi simply reached up, covered Korbin's hand in hers, closed her eyes, and let a single teardrop roll down against the clone's thumb.

The captain lifted his head after a moment and brushed his knuckles against Kilia's tear as he finally stepped away from her. Her eyes fluttered open and she watched him wordlessly. Cody was shocked to see that any fear she had had before was now gone. The look she gave Korbin was one of complete and total trust – and the former commander was at a loss to explain or understand what had just happened. All he knew was what he could see in Kilia's expressive face –

Their circumstances were about to change and somehow, for some unfathomable reason, Korbin could be trusted.

Most of those who were present, however, were not as willing to accept Korbin or the possibility of him helping them out of their current situation. Cody thought Fives might be the first to speak – since the ARC looked as if he was about to pop a vein – but Rowin beat him to the punch.

The rabbit, however, was not hostile – merely disbelieving.

"Wait...ya' knew Kian?" the Lepi's eyes narrowed thoughtfully and something like astonishment flickered across his gently bristling whiskers.

"I...fought alongside him during the Wars," there was something about Korbin's tone of voice that made Cody narrow his own eyes and appraise the assassin cautiously.

There was more to the captain's words than he was willing to voice; Rowin seemed to pick up on it as well, since his astonishment was briefly replaced by suspicion. The rabbit never got a chance to articulate his misgivings, though, as Kil's hands began to move rapidly. This successfully distracted Rowin from his focus on Korbin. As her fingers danced through the air between her and the assassin, the Lepi's whiskers turned down first into a frown and then flattened against his cheeks as his ears twitched in something like amazement. When he finally spoke, to translate Kil's unspoken words for the rest of them, Rowin's voice bordered on wonder.

"She says that you don't have to explain yourself any more, if you don't want to," Rowin's eyes flickered momentarily toward Korbin; the rabbit's expression was hard to read. "She knows what you were to...Kian," the Lepi paused even as Kil paused; Cody watched her face closely, fascinated by the sorrow that cut a dark swathe through her expressive eyes. "You were often in his dreams."

Cody would have given anything to see Korbin's face in that moment. As it was, the assassin's shoulders tightened slightly at the mention of Kian's name, but then dropped as if burdened by a sudden grief when Kil brought up the dreams. The former commander had been reading armored body language all of his life – even though the emotions and subtle language of civilians often evaded him, he could tell the truth in a brother's body with almost pin-point accuracy.

There was a history between this Kian and Korbin – a connection that tied the captain's loyalty to Kilia, as well. Now was not necessarily the time or the place to puzzle those associations out, but Cody could tell that they were significant. And, that there was a kinship between both Kil and Korbin, that was deeply defined by heartache.

Cody's silent observations were cut short by Fives, who had apparently reached his full capacity for silence.

"You're not suggesting that we actually_ trust _this bastard?" the ARC turned his visor toward Kil and his voice resonated with horror.

"If any of you would like to get out of here in one piece, I would highly recommend it," Korbin answered dryly; he finally turned away from Kil and faced Fives head-on for the first time.

"You beat Boil! Interrogated me! Threatened to kill us both, if we didn't spill our guts out!" Fives slowly bent his knees and lowered Numa's feet to the floor.

The ARC didn't seem to care any more if Korbin knew that he was preparing for a fight. Numa finally pulled her face out of Fives' shoulder and Cody saw her tear-streaked face for the first time that night. Her eyes were wide and her face pale, as she continued to cling to her _nerra_'s arm. The Twi'lek youngling huddled as close as she could against Fives' body, and her eyes flashed nervously from Korbin, back to Fives, and then to Korbin again. Cody's own heart felt for her and for a moment, he longed to reach out to her and pull her away from Fives, to comfort her while her adopted brother-figure took Korbin down.

Except that Cody could look at Korbin and Fives and know instinctively who would win if the ARC decided to pick a fight. Korbin was clearly engineered from the ARC stock – the practically unaltered Jango Fett line of clone. Fives was still a trooper and his DNA had been altered to reflect that – he was much smaller than the ARC, less muscular and less brutally built. In a hand-to-hand fight, Fives had the upper hand only in speed; the assassin had him on width and weight. And, Korbin had the Force on his side; Cody hoped, for Fives' sake, that he wouldn't do anything _too_ terribly stupid.

"And I'll remind you again, _Captain_, that you're still breathing," Korbin didn't miss Fives' dangerous posturing; the assassin took a threatening step toward the ARC and Cody could hear everyone hold their breath. "Let me spell it out for you again, since you seemed to have missed it the first time around –_ I let you escape_. I knew you'd lead me straight to Kilia. And in case I didn't make it clear to you – not a single one of you in here can evade Appo's grasp for long _without_ my help."

"If your intentions are so _honorable_, why all the games in the interrogation chambers? I heard about your nickname – they call you 'Appo's strill'," Fives wouldn't let the issue go; he clenched his fists at his side and Numa whimpered softly as the captain's hand tightened a bit too strongly around hers.

"In case you didn't notice, _brother_, we're in the middle of a war," Korbin drew himself up to his full height and any hint of the tenderness that he had shown Kil was gone in the wake of his rising ire. "These are brutal times and brutal times call for brutal men. And sometimes," the assassin stepped toward Fives and the ARC finally let go of Numa's hand as he stood his ground stubbornly. "Measured brutality is needed in order to prevent even greater atrocities," there was a slight pause as Korbin took a deep breath and seemed to steady himself; his voice was a little more level as he continued. "You yourself have nothing to fear from me, Captain Fives. In fact, there's only one person in this room who has any reason to worry about me coming after him in the night," the assassin turned his head and for the breadth of a heart-beat, his dark visor focused on Cody. "I only serve justice and only on those who obeyed Order 66."

For one long, grim moment, Korbin's attention shifted from a dumbstruck Fives to a terror-stricken Cody. The assassin's fists tightened slightly around the lightsabers that were hooked onto his belt; the former commander felt his mouth go dry in a mixture of shock and apprehension.

"I noticed that 'Commander' was missing from your introduction," the captain addressed Cody directly; his voice had lowered into an almost feral growl. "But, it's hard not to place you with such distinctive stripes," the assassin waved a hand dismissively at the former commander's patterned armor. "I followed you closely during the War, out of respect, and afterwards, out of vengeance," the darkness in Korbin's tone made even the non-Force sensitives in the room flinch; Cody saw Sheresh lean her body slightly in an opposite direction in silence response to Korbin's vitriol. "I'm frankly shocked to see you in such up-standing company. Makes me wonder how many of them know about your many crimes, sir."

Cody fought the urge to hang his head in shame and it was Saa, yet again, who rallied unfailingly to the fallen commander's cause.

"I watched Cody punish himself night after night in my bar, for six months straight. I've watched him fall in love with a Jedi; I've seen him face down the ghosts of Bellassa; I've heard forgiveness given to him from the man he wronged the most," the older merc folded his arms stalwartly across his chest and lifted his chin in faithful defiance. "The others in here may know of 'Commander Cody' and his subsequent fall from grace. But, I know Cody of Clan Par'jain and you can save your _justice_, Captain, for a clone who still deserves it."

Something crumbled to the floor in the back corner of the warehouse – Cody glanced behind them and opened the bioscan in his HUD to make sure that they weren't playing host to yet another announced visitor. But, nothing popped up on his screen and he figured that perhaps some duracrete loosened by the blasts had finally given in to gravity. For several moments, the falling rubble was the only thing to break the silence that had followed Saa's protective proclamation of support.

"You have loyal friends, Commander," there was something different about the quality of Korbin's faceless voice, something almost like a grudging respect. "Makes me wonder what you've done to deserve such devotion," the assassin abruptly turned his back to Cody as if to conclude their conversation – but not without first throwing a pointed barb over his shoulder. "But, I base the measure of a man on my_ own_ observations; your record with the Empire doesn't speak so highly of you. There comes a day to us all when no one stands besides us – stay out of my way, Commander, when that day comes for you."

The weight of Korbin's threat was not lost on Cody and the former commander realized a truth that he hadn't yet had to face – there would be some brothers who would never forgive him for what he had done. There would be those who forgave freely, like Tay and Obi-Wan. There would be those who forgave grudgingly, like he hoped Fives one day would. But, then there were others...those who had no interest in accepting him for a vastly different man than the one they had known when darkness fell. There would be those who had no interest in anything, except in making Cody pay for the sins of his past.

It wasn't fair...but it was a grim sort of justice in and of itself. Cody stifled a heavy sigh and set his bleak realization aside for the time being. He couldn't change Korbin's opinion any more than he could change the things that he himself had done. The only option available to him at the moment, was to accept what was said and to set his focus on getting out of Cree'dee alive.

Sheresh, apparently, felt the same way – about getting out of the city alive, at least. Her voice was strangely gentle – more gentle than Cody had yet heard that evening, in any event – but her words were enough to spur everyone into action.

"At this point, it doesn't really matter what we all think of each other, or whether or not we truly trust each other. The fact of the matter is, we need to get out of the city and our chances of successful evasion diminish with every minute we spend talking. Captain, you said you'd help us._ How_?"

"I came into the city with a_ Kleeque_-class transport; it's just two blocks over from this location," Korbin paused and seemed to sense the dubious response his words were gathering. "I timed my arrival while the TIE fighters were still bombing this section of the city. No one would have heard or seen a medium-sized transport vessel over the sound of the explosions – especially not if you were all focused on keeping your heads down and looking for shelter."

He shrugged and the motion conveyed an uncertainty that clashed with the confidence that he had displayed so far. Cody was a little concerned by the shift in mood, but the ARC-class clones were notoriously mercurial. If anything, Korbin seemed surprised that his offer was actually being considered and that it was now being called into question.

"I've never heard of a _'Kleeque_-class transport'," Fives – as usual – found something to challenge; Korbin's body language shifted yet again, this time to annoyance.

"They're a new class of medium-sized troop carriers," the assassin couldn't hide the huff in his voice. "A prototype, actually, that the Empire's trying out. It's large enough to hold all of you _and_," Korbin raised a hand, as if sensing a question. "Before you ask, this one has been assigned specifically to me and has certain specifications to reflect that. I can run you all out of the city to the foothills on silent – the _Pro Victoria_ won't pick us up on a scanner and neither will the TIE fighters."

"Ya' can run silent?" Rowin seemed quite thoroughly impressed; he wiggled his whiskers curiously in Korbin's general direction.

"I'm a clone assassin," the captain's reply was sardonic in its delivery. "'Silent' is kind of expected."

"And Appo trusts you enough that he won't come sniffing along behind you?" Fives had taken Numa's hand again in his, but his body was still taunt, still wired for a reaction.

"The beauty of Appo is his inflated sense of self," Korbin snorted and Cody thought the captain's contempt was rather ironic, considering his own over-abundance of confidence. "He lead the clone assault on the Jedi Temple," the assassin's tone was darkly mocking and for the first time, Cody believed Korbin might actually be the saving help that he had claimed.

There was a visceral _hate_ in the captain's voice – a disregard for rank, for authority. His body language reflected the change in his demeanor clearly as well; Korbin _bristled_, if only for a moment, his hands clenched and his shoulders squared aggressively.

"So, of course, the Commander believes that he'd be able to spot a traitor from a mile away. He doesn't doubt me – nor will he," Korbin's voice lowered to a deadly pitch and in that instant, Cody didn't think that even Fives doubted the captain's sincerity. "Until he's played right into my hand."

Korbin's intention toward Appo was clear -_ "until I've killed him._" Cody kept his council to himself, but he felt a kinship with Korbin that the other clone couldn't yet know. They were both out for Appo's blood; Cody didn't know all of the assassin's reasons for killing such a high-profile officer, but it didn't really matter to him in the long run. He had heard the malevolence in Korbin's voice at mention of the Temple; as far as Cody was concerned, Appo's infamous contribution to the destruction of the Jedi was enough to bind Korbin and him together in a lethal, if unspoken, pledge.

"Sheresh is right," Cody stifled a groan as he slowly hauled himself to his strangely unsteady feet. "We need to get moving."

He would have said more, but the pain in his torso flared back into life. Except for a heaviness across his chest, Cody had almost forgotten about his injury; sitting in silence had proved a helpful remedy to the agony that he had endured earlier. But, now that he moved, the tightness in his chest twinged again and his side ached in voiceless protest. He wavered a bit on his feet as he tried to take a deep breath and saw bright spots dance drunkenly in the forefront of his vision.

"Can you make it to the transport, _vod_?" Sheresh demonstrated a remarkable empathy, as she reached out toward Cody and tentatively touched his armored forearm.

He just gritted his jaw and nodded silently. He had no choice, really, and he had persisted in the face of greater injuries in the past. The former commander just tipped his head in acknowledgment of Sheresh's concern and steadied himself for the trek ahead of them.

Saa slipped an arm around Cody's shoulders and nodded grimly at Korbin. The choice had been made and even though he didn't have a spark of Force sensitivity, Cody thought he could almost sense a mixture of anxiety and determination pass between every member of their bootleg crew. Saa's voice broke the heavy silence, though, and urged them all past their own inherent fears, toward a final, decisive action.

"Let's roll."

* * *

><p>Cody wasn't sure if he was surprised or not, when Korbin proved true to his word.<p>

The group made it to the assassin's transport, which had indeed been landed two blocks over from their temporary shelter. Everything about Korbin's story – or, as much of it as was known to any of them – checked out. The transport was, in fact, a prototype that Cody had never seen before and it did indeed "run silent"; even the engines had somehow been modified to operate at nothing louder than a throaty purr.

Korbin took the helm, with Sheresh in the navigator's seat beside him; Rowin stood behind her, one paw ready on his blaster. The rest of them sat in the troop hold, on narrow benches that offered little in the way of comfort. Saa sat with his arms folded over his chest and his head down as if he was sleeping – Cody couldn't quite determine if the older merc was in fact catching a quick cat nap, but his seeming nonchalance for what was happening was oddly comforting. Fives was tense and fidgety, but he held Numa on his lap and kept his obvious paranoia to himself – if only for the sake of the youngling in his arms. Kil sat next to them, her side pressed up against Fives as if trying to take comfort from his armored strength – she stared straight ahead, her hands tightly clenched around her knees, and didn't make a single sound. Cody, too, stayed silent and tried not to think too much about everything that had happened that night, about everyone that he had met, or about all the ghosts of his past that had come back to haunt him.

As far as Cody could tell, no one (even the seemingly snoozing Saa) let down their guard, as Korbin flew them toward a destination that those within the hold couldn't see. But, necessity had forced them to make a Devaronian's gamble – to trust a man who was, by all accounts except his own, their enemy. A man who had been sent to hunt them down; man who had orders to turn them all in to the same commander who had slaughtered Jedi younglings.

A part of Cody half-expected to hear blaster shots echo through the main cabin at any moment, as Korbin "neutralized" both Sheresh and her Lepi partner. But, the shots never came; they flew in complete silence – both mechanically and verbally – for about twenty standard minutes. In fact, their landing took the former commander by surprise; later, he would think back and wonder if perhaps he hadn't dozed off for a few minutes in mimic of Saa's own guise.

Everyone (except Saa) jumped a little bit when the door to the main cabin slid open with a soft whoosh. Cody was merely wary of the situation, but it had taken every ounce of desperation for Fives and Kil to bring Numa and themselves on board Korbin's vessel. Their nervous reaction to the door belied their hyper-vigilance and their mute expectation for the figure that stepped through into the troop hold to be a double-dealing Korbin. But, it was only Sheresh, with her exaggerated limp and dark-rimmed eyes.

She had taken off her helmet at some point while flying; the _buy'ce_ was now clipped to her belt and she rubbed a weary hand across her face. The female Mandalorian wavered a bit and she reached down to rub a hand absently along her thigh, as if there was a pain there that she was trying to ease.

"We're here, everyone," the troop cabin was filled with the sound of hastily expelled air, as everyone finally stopped holding their breath; Sheresh rewarded them all with a brief, but brilliant smile, before her face faded back to business. "We're about three clicks from the outpost itself – our helpful host doesn't need to know the exact location."

"I'll find out anyway, just so you know," Korbin's voice drifted past Sheresh's shoulder as his armored bulk squeezed into the doorway behind her.

Cody lifted his head and eyed his brother carefully. The former commander had taken off his helmet during the flight as well, and he had to squint a bit to see anything of Korbin's helmet, since the assassin's broad shoulders were blocking the main cabin light. He couldn't really make out any details, but the set of the other clone's shoulders was non-threatening. If, anything, Korbin's body language was a little "easier", now that they had made it out of Cree'dee.

"I showed you where the _Pro Victoria _was on the horizon," Korbin lifted his hand and tapped Sheresh on her shoulder; she nodded and turned her head toward him to watch him out of the corner of her eye. "Appo's not far off from Cree'dee – the ground troops should secure the city tonight and he'll have moved the star destroyer in by morning. The first thing he'll do is run bioscans on the foothills, to get a feel for where there's outposts like this one. He'll send scouting parties in by the end of the week."

"Great – so we've been moved from one hopeless situation to another," Fives' voice cracked with exhaustion, but his tone was as mulish as ever.

"Don't underestimate Mandalorians, _ad'ika_," Saa had cracked open an eye and was staring at Fives with a determination that could match any defiance the ARC might have displayed. "Sol'yc is a galaxy-class sniper and his sons are the same. I'd be surprised if a scouting party ever made it this far under a Kelborn's watchful eye."

"And it would be stupid of Sol'yc and his clan to cause trouble," this time, it was Korbin who snapped, and his authority rang clearly through the cabin. "Leave the scouting parties to me. I'll make sure I'm the one leading any that come up the foothills this way. As long as Sol'yc doesn't kill anyone or make any threatening moves, I can keep keep Appo ignorant of your whereabouts."

"You've made quite a study of this Appo, haven't you?" Saa countered back, his voice dry.

"A lot of lives depend on it," Korbin finally stepped past Sheresh and into the troop cabin.

The assassin stopped in front of Kil; he squatted down in front of her and put a hand on her knee. The captain's gentleness surprised Cody yet again and even Fives seemed a little taken back by the assassin's actions.

"I promised Kil that I would be faithful to the Republic," Korbin's voice had softened as well and he took one of the former Jedi's hands in his own. "I have never killed a Jedi and I can only ask that you'll forgive me for not getting to Kil's side soon enough to save him," the assassin bowed his head; after a long moment, Kil reached up and placed her other hand tenderly on the top of his helmet. "I won't make that same mistake with you, Kilia. You have my word."

Kil said nothing, but she did bend forward and press her lips timidly against the smooth surface of Korbin's stygian helmet. Her lips lingered there for a moment longer than Cody would have expected and she had closed her eyes, as if trying to keep fresh tears at bay. No one made a sound, until Kil leaned back in her seat and Korbin lifted his head. The assassin squeezed the woman's hand and then stood up, his movements effortless.

"Get going, all of you," Korbin's voice was a throaty rasp that Cody would remember for months to come. "Dawn's coming. Don't let the sun catch you running."

* * *

><p>"We're almost there," Sheresh called softly behind her, as she lead the struggling group through the snow and the trees.<p>

The foothills were densely populated with dark, thin-needle-leaf, evergreen trees; underneath the thickness of their branches, the sun hadn't yet been able to melt the last of the lingering winter snow. In some places, it was piled as high as Cody's shins; the snow, coupled with exhaustion from the night finally catching up with them, was making everyone was struggle to keep pace with one another.

Because of her leg, Sheresh hadn't set a particularly grueling pace and in another lifetime, when he was younger perhaps, Cody wouldn't have thought twice about a three click hike uphill. But now, every fallen branch was an obstacle of monumental proportions, and every rock beckoned for him to take a moment and catch his breath. The air was thinner in the foothills – much thinner than Cody had grown accustomed to in flat Mydwyth – and he was finding it harder and harder to breath. No one else seemed to be faring much better, except maybe Fives.

The ARC was carrying Numa on his back and didn't seem as affected by the cold, the snow, or the thin air as everyone else. Rowin's whiskers were drooping and the poor Lepi looked like he would have rather faced a whole battalion of storm troopers than another bank of snow. Saa was keeping up gallantly, but Cody could tell by the way the merc drug his foot, that the injury he had sustained on Bellassa was beginning to dampen his morale. Kil walked like a woman in a daze, but the bluish tint of her lips warned the rest that they needed to find warmth – and soon. Sheresh struggled valiantly in the front of the pack, but her limp was unmistakable and her voice was laced with pain.

They had all reached the end of their stamina. The emotional, mental, and physical strain of the nights' events was weighing on them all like ruck-march packs; Cody, especially, was beginning to wonder how many steps he could take before he face-planted permanently into the snowy underbrush. The first blush of sunrise was beginning to glint off of the tops of the trees above them and Korbin's warning echoed eerily through Cody's head -

_"Don't let the sun catch you running."_

The assassin's dire hint was the only reason Cody managed to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Agony tightened his chest and pierced his side – he was beginning to wonder if the chunk of duracrete had cracked or broken a rib – but he grit his teeth against the pain and continued to struggle forward.

He would _not_ be the reason that the group didn't make it to safety in time.

"I see smoke!" Rowin's cry cracked a little louder than was expected; the rabbit's voice echoed in the still morning air.

"Shhhhh!" Sheresh hissed, as she turned her head and paused for a moment to fix the Lepi with a glare.

"Look -" Fives started and then stopped; he then stopped _literally_, his armored feet shrouded in snow.

Cody looked up just in time to see Sheresh whip her head back around to look in front of her...and right into the barrel of an old slug-thrower rifle. As Cody traveled the length of the rifle and the arm that held it, he thought he just might have lost the ability to breath. His eyes grew wide as he peered past Sheresh's shoulder...

Right into a face that was exactly the same as his, and as Fives', and as Korbin's. His jaw dropped and the former commander decided that he was never again going to question the coincidence of the Force.

Sheresh, on the other hand, seemed to take the sudden appearance all in stride.

"Oh, good morning, Ferro," her voice turned chipper, as if she had just run into an old friend. "I told you I'd be back with more!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** _Oh. Thank. The FORCE. T_T You all have absolutely no idea how happy I am to be DONE with the Cree'dee "arc". . I think if it weren't for NaNoWriMo, I'd still be muddling along in the dark with Sheresh, Fives, Saa, and Cody. As it was, having a daily word deadline urged me to get through the thick of this arc...but it still drove me INSANE. I can't even explain why, except that I was over everyone being in Cree'dee about two chapters back. Alas...I still had to introduce all the new characters and give Korbin his due. *sigh* I hope this didn't suck too much...though, honestly, at this point, I'm so over this chapter that I'm just HAPPY IT'S DONE! I didn't even want to go back over and edit it - that's now DONE I am with it. LOL_

_Any of you writers ever have days/chapters/characters like that? T_T I think some of the antsiness comes from looking forward to what I have planned in our Sol'yc-Outpost arc. :) I'm quite excited to delve back into relationships and family dynamics... I can apparently do suspense, action, and drama...but I'd much rather write about characters and their personal relationships with one another. Unfortunately...focusing solely on characters doesn't do much to move along a plot. *le sigh* Oh, the balancing act of writing..._

_If anyone wants to know more about** Korbin** and **Kian**, make sure to check out "**Fidelity**" in "**Virtues From Another Point of View**"._ _Here ends shameless plug. -_^_

_Many warm thanks and hugs to **Codywolf**, **Admiral ****D****aala**,** laloga**, and **LongLiveTheClones**. :) I appreciate every reader and every review; it really warms my heart to get such warm support for my humble endeavors.__ I'm really excited about the upcoming chapters - and yes, all of your questions from the last few chapters, with all of the new character back-stories and dynamics will be answered. I'm looking forward to it and I hope the story keeps all of you coming back for more. This really is a labor of love and it's an honor, as always, to share it with such dedicated readers. :)_

_Oh! And MAJOR thanks to **laloga **for letting me borrow her OC clone, **Ferro**. ^^ I can't give too much of his story in her current projects away, but keep an eye out for him in **Eye of the Storm: Alchemy**. We've been talking about crossing our time-lines together and having our characters meet up, so she graciously offered Ferro up as the first to span the gap between our separate endeavors. :) Here's to hoping I do Ferro - and **laloga**'s own wonderful characterization - justice. (And if you haven't read any of **laloga**'s stuff - go check it out! She won't disappoint. ^^)  
><em>

_Love it? Like it? Hate it? Lemme know...!_


	10. Wisdom, Justice, & Love1

__**A/N:** _I first encountered this arc's chapter quotes on the Linkin Park album "A Thousand Suns" (from which this and the last story get their names); these quotes do indeed come from the track entitled "Wisdom, Justice, and Love." However, I think it's important to point out that these quotes actually come from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a historical hero of mine. These words, in turn, originate from a speech he delivered in 1967, at the Riverside Church in New York City and are part of his famous Declaration Against the Vietnam War._

**Dedication:** _This story, and all stories to come that pertain to this series, are dedicated to the men participating in the QUEST and REEFS programs at my local county prison. May Cody's story of redemption become their own one day._

* * *

><p><em>"<em>I come to this magnificent house of worship tonight, because my conscience leaves me no other choice."<em>_

_"**Wisdom, Justice, and Love"**_

_**Linkin Park**_

* * *

><p>Ferro was not one for lengthy conversations – in fact, Cody's first impression of him was that the clone was not one for conversation <em>at all<em>. The well-armed brother just tucked his rifle into the crook of his arm, pointed the muzzle toward the snow, and stepped to the side in order to allow Sheresh and the rest of them to pass.

"Thanks, Ferro," Sheresh reached out to pat the clone on the shoulder as she shuffled by.

Cody was mildly interested to note that Ferro wasn't wearing any sort of armor – not on top of his clothing, at least. He sported a thick, hooded, fur-lined snow parka, a pair of gloves, and thick working boots. It was strange seeing a brother in something other than armor or GAR issued fatigues; Cody tried to search his brain for a memory of seeing any brother in something other than his bodysuit or his armor, and came up blank. Dressed as he was, Ferro could almost pass as any normal civilian – if his face wasn't shared by half a million men scattered throughout the galaxy.

Ferro caught Cody looking at his clothes and something like a smile lifted the corners of his mouth, as if he knew what his brother was thinking. The plains-clothed clone surprised the former commander by turning his attention back to Sheresh, however, and murmuring softly into the morning darkness -

"It's been a long night for all of us, I think."

His abrupt attempt at conversation appeared to surprise Sheresh as well, because she pulled up short and looked quickly over her shoulder to fix Ferro with wide-eyed alarm.

"What's wrong?" the paranoia of the evening had left her – and the rest of the group – hardwired to suspect the worst.

Ferro just smiled slightly again; this time, something undefinable flashed through his light brown eyes. He even tucked his chin in toward his chest a bit and let his eyes slide over the rest of the group that was trying to straggle past him. His eyes lingered on Fives' and Cody's uncovered faces, but if he was surprised to see other brothers, he didn't show it.

"You'll see when you get to the _vheh'yaim_," Ferro's attention moved back to Sheresh as he shouldered his rifle and hooked a thumb into his belt. "But, it's a good day. Sol will be pleased to have you back again."

"Speaking of Sol..." Sheresh's voice trailed off as she turned her head to and fro, as if looking for something. "Where is he? He said he'd make sure to stand watch until I returned, so no one accidentally shot us," the female Mandalorian eyed Ferro's slug-thrower and then offered him a rueful smile. "No offense to you, of course, but Tor can be a little trigger-happy."

"Sol's in the _vheh'yaim_ – family business," that mysterious little smile returned and Ferro shrugged, as if to indicate that he had taken no offense to Sheresh's question. "And Tor's why I'm here. That and I'm not family."

"Well, not being family is no reason to exclude you -" Sheresh bristled slightly on Ferro's behalf, but the clone just shrugged again and waved a hand dismissively.

"Oh trust me, I don't feel excluded. I'd rather be out here," his smile turned into a chuckle. "It's safer here, at any rate."

"Yeah...say that when the storm troopers come knocking on the door," Fives grumbled under his breath and Kil nudged him with her elbow, as if to remind the ARC of his manners.

The clone shot the former Jedi a sour look, but thankfully, he kept his tongue. Ferro eyed Fives curiously, but kept any thoughts that he might have had to himself. Cody was silently thankful for the new brother's obvious self-containment – Fives' emotions were frayed to the last nerve and the last thing they needed was for the ARC's boisterous temperament to override his better judgment._ Especially_ since they were just yards away from what Cody hoped would be hot food, warm beds, and relative safety.

"Well, in any event," Sheresh shot Fives a look as well – one that clearly conveyed her disapproval – and then turned her attention forward, past Ferro and toward the smoke that curled lazily above the rose-tipped treetops. "We'd better get going. Stay warm, Ferro."

"I think I'll manage," Ferro's voice was faintly tinged with humor; he turned away from the group and added thoughtfully, as if remembering something he'd rather forget - "At least it's not Ambria."

"At least Ambria is _dry,_" Rowin puffed out his cheeks and blew into the cold dawn air; a puff of "smoke" drifted up in front of him and he wiggled his whiskers reproachfully at the snow-covered view around them.

"We're freezing our_ shebs_ out here, standing around talking like total idiots, and you're worried about it being _dry_?" Saa's mood was decidedly sour, but Cody had to bite his lip to keep from laughing.

It wasn't amusing in the slightest, when the pragmatic mercenary pointed his pithy opinions toward Cody. But, watching someone _else _take the brunt of Saa's sharp tongue was positively hysterical.

"Hey! This snow business is wet," Rowin protested with considerable verve.

Sheresh sighed and rolled her eyes, as if she had finally reached the end of her patience. To her credit, however, she said nothing; the orange-armored Mando merely turned around and started trudging through the snow. Ferro took his cue to leave and practically melted into the tree-line; one minute he was standing just in front of Cody and to the left slightly, with his rifle at rest against his shoulder. The next minute...he was simply _gone_.

The former commander raised his eyebrows in silent regard – he had only ever seen that kind of skill demonstrated by the spec ops clones, like Fives and Korbin. Ferro had certainly caught his interest, but there was no opportunity at present to ask questions about his brother's training. The group moved slowly forward and Cody joined the snow-impeded shuffle as they all made their way along a narrow path that took them winding through the trees.

"The cold doesn't bother you?" Saa continued to bicker with Rowin; it seemed as if the merc had decided to pick on the Lepi for sheer entertainment value, as there was little hostility in his voice.

"Naw," Rowin played along – either blissfully or on purpose, Cody couldn't tell. "Cold is what the fur's for. Not to mention, it snows like this on Coachelle Prime, too. It's the_ wet _I can't stand."

"Not one for baths then, are you?" Saa quipped.

"That's what sonic showers are for," Rowin volleyed back, his tone lively, as if he hadn't just survived a night of Imperial bombings and double-crossing assassins. "All the hygiene – none of the wet!"

"You're as bad as a kriffin' Togorian," Saa's gruffness was an amusing contrast to the Lepi's boundless perkiness; Cody rather suspected that the merc meant it that way, if only for the momentary distraction of the others.

The trees abruptly ended and several yards of clear, level ground opened up in front of them. Cody recognized the geographical tactic immediately – the clearing was sentient-made, in order to provide a fire zone for defense. The open space stretched out in what appeared to be an equal distance all around a large, rounded complex that dominated the view in front of them. If hostile forces ever tried to approach the buildings, they wouldn't be able to fire effectively from the cover of the tree-line; the minute an enemy stepped out of the woods, he or she would be a clear and immediate target.

Cody suddenly understood why Ferro hadn't looked particularly concerned when Fives had scoffed at his brother's confidence in their relative safety. A large invading force could overwhelm the outpost, most certainly, but not without the locals first taking a large number of troops down with them.

The large, circular "yard" had also been cleared of snow; shoveled banks surrounded the perimeter, just along the tree-line and only one opening had been made through the piled up mush. That opening yawned ahead of them and it was only just wide enough for them to slip through single-file. Fives hesitated a moment, however, when it was his turn to move out from under the safety of the trees into the open expanse.

"Ferro would have already commed Sol of our arrival," Sheresh seemed to sense the nature of the ARC's hesitancy.

She stopped in the middle of the clearing and faced all of them, her back purposefully turned toward the _vheh'yaim_. The female bounty hunter was in a clear line of fire and Cody noticed a subtle movement from around what appeared to be a covered doorway. He couldn't be sure, but he_ thought _he had seen the muzzle of a blaster rifle disappear behind an animal-hide curtain.

"You don't have to be so suspicious, Fives," Sheresh rebuked the ARC gently and was rewarded with a particularly scathing glare – which she ignored, as she shifted her attention to the rest of them. "Welcome to _Vecuyan_, _vode_, an outpost of Clan Kelborn."

* * *

><p>"Why, Sher<em>'ika<em>, you didn't tell me that you were bringing your _alor_ along for a taste of Kelborn hospitality!"

Cody stared in wide-eyed fascination as an enormously muscle-bound man guided his power chair through the small crowd that had gathered almost instantly around the weary party of refugees. The male who approached them had skin the color of ebony; his teeth flashed bright against his dark face and that seemed, somehow, to make his jovial welcome more reassuring. Already, the former commander could feel some of the tension in his shoulders abate – though, he kept a wary eye on the wild-haired Zygerrian holding a blaster rifle behind them by the door.

"Well..." Sheresh shrugged and offered a weary smile. "I figured the less you knew, the better. To be honest, I wasn't sure who I would come back with."

"Do you have everyone you set out to gather, at least?" a note of worry tinged their new host's voice; he raised an eyebrow toward his nonexistent hairline.

"Yes," Sheresh's sigh was one of much-needed release. "Rowin and I were able to rescue everyone."

"Almost everyone," Fives interjected sullenly. "My crew is still short by two."

"That, _vod'ika_, is something that will have to be addressed in due time," Sol leaned forward in his power chair and fixed Fives with a firm, but earnest, look. "But, not this morning," the Mandalorian waved a hand at those gathered around Fives. "You and your party look like you're in sore need of good food and good sleep, before any other challenge is considered."

"We need a medic, too," Saa reached out and touched Cody carefully on the shoulder. "Not all of us made it through the bombings unscathed."

Sol's sharp, dark eyes were immediately drawn to Cody's dented chest-plate. The Mandalorian's eyebrows rose slightly toward his smooth forehead and he puckered his lips in unspoken concern.

"A medic, we have. Unfortunately," a mixture of excitement and apology flickered across Sol's face as he turned his head briefly toward a covered doorway across the rounded room to their left. "Our medic is currently doubling as a midwife."

"Oh!" a wide, if weary, smile lit up Sheresh's heart-shaped face and she clapped her hands together in wordless congratulations. "Is Can_'ika_ having her baby?"

"She's been in labor since early last night – her contractions began right after you and Row'_ika_ left, actually," Sol looked something like Sazen in that moment, with his chest puffed out in pride and his eyes shining with a grandfather's warmth. "We've all been awake since then," he waved a hand toward the room at large and toward all of the sentients who had congregated around their little crew. "And it's why I wasn't outside to greet you, like I promised."

Sol's last words were spoken a bit ruefully and the look he gave Sheresh was appropriately apologetic. Sheresh just chuckled and waved her hand dismissively, as if to convey to her fellow Mandalorian that there was no need to worry about her opinion of his priorities.

"Don't worry about it, Sol'_buir_," Cody watched with interest as the female bounty hunter limped past Sol's power chair and lowered herself carefully onto a particularly inviting cushion that lay on the floor nearby. "At least you sent Ferro out to stand guard and not Tor," she waved her hand toward the Zygerrian in the corner and her smile was accompanied by a playful wink.

"You'll be thankful for my quick trigger finger one of these days, Par'jain," the Zygerrian snorted, but Cody thought he could detect a tinge of humor in the rugged sentient's rough voice.

"Oh, I have no doubt of that, Tor," Sheresh laughed; her ease with the present company was obvious and it helped loosen some of the wariness in Cody's own bearing. "Until then, though, I'm still going to give you grief."

The Zygerrian just grunted, as if torn between amusement and disapproval. He did, however, lean his rifle against the door frame and cross his arms over his broad chest, as his yellow eyes roved over Cody, Sheresh, and the others.

"I didn't realize Mandalorians allowed slavers into their clans," Fives piped up; Cody was beginning to think his brother had a sick sixth sense for what _not_ to say, as Sol's body language stiffened abruptly.

"We don't," the outpost chieftain was calm in his reply, but his tone was distinctly cooler than it had been with Sheresh. "Tor is not a slaver."

"Nor have I ever been," Tor spoke up for himself, his own voice impressively measured for one who had just been insulted.

He uncrossed his arms and extended a hand toward a female Twi'lek who was standing near to him. She saw him reach out and immediately slipped her own arm possessively around his waist and laid her head on his shoulder in a comfortable display of intimacy. The Zygerrian's harsh, angular visage softened for a moment, as he met the cream-colored Twi'lek's eyes for a moment or two.

"The Zygerrians are known for enslaving their own kind, too," Tor lifted his head away from his partner and fixed Fives with a fierce scowl, as if to dare the clone to make another stupid verbal move. "You would do well to remember, _human_, that I am not Zygerrian. I am _Mandalorian_."

"I found Tor and Ala when they were just children," Sol added, his voice a little softer than Tor's, but just as staunch. "Tor had been sold into slavery by his own parents, for trying to help Ala escape from her masters. You should learn, _ad'ika_, not to make assumptions of a Mandalorian's past," Sol abruptly leaned forward and held Fives' eyes with his own; Cody unconsciously held his breath, uncertain of what the mercurial ARC might do.

Surprisingly, Fives said nothing. He held Numa – who had nodded off in his arms, her head nestled against the ARC's pauldron – and watched Sol with what appeared to be something like uncertainty.

"I see you have your work cut out for you, Saa'_ika_," Sol quirked an eyebrow and shifted his gaze knowingly toward the merc; Cody watched his mentor's mouth curve upward in a tight, brief smile.

"He'll learn of_ cin vhetin_ soon enough." Saa's own smile mirrored Sol's and the two leaders shared a knowing look.

Cody bowed his head and rubbed his hand absently across his dented chest-plate. He had caught some of his breath back while they had all been standing in what he assumed to be a gathering room of some sort. The pain hadn't yet subsided, however, and he grimaced slightly as he looked around. The clone's eyes fell on Sheresh, who had propped her right leg up on another cushion seat. The female bounty hunter was gingerly unbuckling the armor strapped to her shins and the intent to free her injured leg was clear. The former commander rubbed his chest-plate a second time and started looking around for a cushion of his own – Saa seemed familiar with the Kelborns and there didn't seem to be any indication of hostility toward them that he could observe. As far as alternative activities to standing about and talking went, Cody was of the opinion that getting off his feet was a definite priority.

Sol apparently noticed him looking around, because the Mandalorian moved his power chair back with a quiet whir of gears and motioned toward the room at large.

"Where are my manners? Please, sit all of you. And let us share our hospitality."

Even Fives looked grateful for the opportunity to get off of his feet, though sitting down without waking up Numa looked to be a rather tricky affair. The ARC managed, however, and the young Twi'lek barely stirred as Fives gently transferred her sleeping form to a large cushion next to his. Numa immediately caught Ala's attention and the cream-colored adult smiled brightly in the face of Fives' over-protective glower, as she moved from Tor's side and knelt on the ground beside the youngling's impromptu bed.

"You have a beautiful little daughter," Ala reached out and brushed a gentle, slim-fingered hand across Numa's turquoise cheek.

The youngling stirred and muttered something in her sleep, but if anything, she seemed to nuzzle into the warmth of Ala's hand. A tender expression passed over the older Twi'lek's face and Cody was surprised to see something like loss flicker in her deep green eyes. When she addressed Fives again, her tone was wistful, as if she were remembering a similar youngling from her past.

"You rescued her?" her question was hopeful, but the ghost of a memory seemed to weigh down her words.

"_I_ didn't," Fives shook his head and honorably refused to take any credit for Numa's presence. "But, my brother did. He saved her during a battle on Ryloth during the Wars when she was just five years old and then again, most recently, from slavers," the ARC's dark eyes flickered toward Tor, who had been watching the exchange with undisguised interest.

Cody ducked his head at the indirection mention of Boil and tried to redirect his attention to unlatching his chest-plate. As long as Fives was with them, it appeared that the sins of Sarrish wouldn't ever leave him alone.

"Zygerrian slavers?" Ala glanced toward Tor, as she seemed to make a connection between her clan-mate and Fives' bristling hostility.

"No," the ARC had the decency to look mildly abashed and he didn't quite meet Ala's eyes as he shook his head. "Weequay, actually."

"Well, lucky for you and your youngling, we have no Weequay here," Ala gentle smile was gracious and so were her words, as she moved her hand from Numa and patted Fives boldly on his arm. "Your reaction to my husband is understandable considering the circumstances," the Twi'lek's smile widened, belying the seriousness of their conversation. "But do try to get along while you're here. You will find that Tor means your youngling no harm and that he meant what he said – he is not Zygerrian, but Mandalorian."

"As are all of us," Sol's rich voice chuckled over the room; Cody watched as the Mandalorian settled back in his power chair and folded his hands over his stomach. "It might surprise you, young Fives, but look around you," Sol's dark eyes drifted over the gathered sentients and even Cody was surprised to suddenly realize that they were in considerably mixed company. "Not a single one of us in here share blood, but we share clan and by doing so, we share family. Being Mando'ad transcends the culture one may have come from before vowing loyalty to the _Resol'nare_; we leave our pasts behind us when we take up our armor."

Fives' attention was suddenly and surprisingly directed at Cody. The two brothers considered each other from opposite points of the room and the former commander didn't miss the calculating look Fives gave to his _beskar'gam_. The ARC's eyes lingered on the orange stripes radiating from Cody's stomach plates and his gaze followed the tell-tale marks up toward his brother's face.

"Is that what you've done, Commander?" the title was still a pointed mockery, but Fives' tone was thoughtful and remarkably bland in its delivery. "Left your past behind you?"

"I've tried," Cody couldn't help quirking his lips in irony, as he finally finished unbuckling his dented chest-plate; he paused to take the first decent breath he had been able to manage since running afoul of that flying duracrete. "But, it keeps hunting me down, it seems."

Cody thought that maybe Fives would have more to say to that, but the ARC merely pursed his lips, as if silently considering the sincerity of his former commander's words. The clone then surprised Cody by turning toward Ala and sticking his hand out abruptly over Numa's sleeping form.

"I'm Fives, by the way," his eyes still flickered suspiciously around the room, but it was obvious that, for the first time that night, he was making an attempt to be civil. "They used to call me 'Captain', once, but I suppose that doesn't matter anymore."

"_Su cuy'gar_," Ala flashed a pearly smile and startled Fives in turn by ignoring his offered hand and grabbing a hold of his wrist instead. "Welcome to _Vecuyan_. I hope you and your youngling can find a little bit of peace among us."

It was a strange thing, hearing a Mandalorian speak of peace, but Cody thought that it applied to what he had observed so far of the outpost's occupants. The faces gathered around them were curious and some were a little wary, but all expressions were open – even the Zygerrian, for having been so rudely singled out by Fives. It was a refreshing change, to feel truly welcomed to a place; Cody didn't even think twice of setting his chest-plate aside, along with his _buy'ce_. Saa, too, had settled down on a cushion next to the clone and, like Sheresh, had propped his bad leg up on a matching pillow. Seeing his mentor settle himself down so comfortably was all the reassurance that Cody needed, to know that Sol and his clan were safe.

Fives' spontaneous introduction triggered a chain-reaction around the circular room. Sol and his small family waited politely as their guests introduced themselves; Cody was mildly relieved to discover that his own named didn't seem to generate any sort of animosity or hostile interest. He had begun to feel in Cree'dee that his name was a jinx – an omen of bad luck that seemed to summon only the past.

It was nice to be "faceless" again; Sol didn't even blink as Cody introduced himself and no one else made any indication that they knew anything more of him than his name. It was a welcome respite and one that put Cody further at ease.

Rowin was the last to introduce himself, but, as he pointed out, everyone present knew him already.

"It's kinda' hard to forget a Lepi," he quipped with a playful waggle of his lopped ears. "'Specially one that looks outta' place, even on his own home planet."

It was at that moment that Cody suddenly realized several very important things about the sentient in question. One, was that Rowin's fur did not sport the customary colors of the Lepi Cody that had seen before on the holonet and in alien species manuals. It took him a moment to recall all of the details (after all, he was no Gree), but he was able to pull up, from sheer memory, the manual specs on Rowin's peculiar race.

Lepi were usually green or dark blue – perhaps, rarely, shades of white and gray. Rowin's fur was the color of durasteel, with a blaze down the center of his forehead, which ended in a point at his twitching nose. Cody didn't know if color variation was normal for a Lepi, but he was willing to bet that it wasn't. In all of the pictures that he had seen, the featured Lepi were one solid color – once again, usually some shade of green or blue. All the Lepi he had seen possessed straight ears, as well – Rowin's laid flat against the side of his skull and brushed against the tops of his shoulders. The former commander also recalled that most Lepi had red eyes – but Rowin's were a startling shade of blue, as bright and clear as the Naboo summer sky.

The peculiarity of Rowin's appearance was not helped by the fact that he wore what looked to be storm trooper armor which had been modified to fit the Lepi's taller, thinner build. The rabbit had painted it a light gray – a shade similar to one he could have made if he had mixed the white of his face blaze in with the darker gray of his fur – and there were little yellow tick-marks on his left vambrace that Cody immediately recognized as kill counts.

Cody lifted his eyebrows a bit in unabashed curiosity. There was a story behind the Lepi's statement concerning his home world...and there was _definitely_ a story behind the storm trooper armor. The armor did, however, bear silent testimony to the fact that the Lepi had killed at least_ one _of Cody's former brothers. The clone silently hoped that it had been a brother like Appo – one who had sacrificed his honor, one who had justly earned the death that had been dealt to him. It was a morbid thing to hope, but Cody could justify the death of another clone, if that brother had executed Order 66. In that respect, the former commander would never begrudge Korbin his grim sense of duty; brother or not, there were some clones who deserved to pay for their transgressions.

Even _he_ didn't hide his face or his crimes from Justice. Cody did understand, however - in a way that Korbin didn't - that Justice came in many different forms, in many different faces. Sometimes, Justice came in the paws of a Lepi with a quick blaster. Sometimes, Justice came in forgiveness, in the unconditional love of a Jedi.

Cody also understood – and accepted – that those who had been complicit in Order 66 could not pick their own Justice. It came to them in the form that fate determined, some to death, some to forgiveness, some to the hells of their own making.

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><p><strong>AN:** _I feel as if I've ended this chapter at an odd point, but it was either stop it here or post a 17-page chapter. I thought perhaps you might appreciate a shorter read, Dear Reader. ;-)_

_Having said that, the next chapter is already written and ready to go. This week was a difficult one for my NaNoWriMo goals and until tonight, I fell a bit behind the power curve. It doesn't help that I started volunteering at a prison this week, or that this happens to be my midterm week. I've been a little swamped. T_T So, instead of sleeping like a normal person, at a normal hour, I've been trying to catch up with my writing and my posting. It's taken nearly three cups of coffee, but I'm pleased to say I'm almost caught up (on my word count, at least, LOL)._

_Much love and thanks to my faithful fans, **LongLiveTheClones**, **Codywolf**, **Kiana Tavers-Mereel**, **laloga**, **Nae**, and **Admiral Da****ala**. You guys rock and you have no idea how treasured your reviews are. You guys keep me writing - never doubt that!_

_Love it? Like it? Hate it? Lemme know...!_


	11. Wisdom, Justice, & Love2

_"_A true revolution of values will lay hands on the world order and say of war: This way of settling difference is not just."__

_"**Wisdom, Justice, and Love"**_

_**Linkin Park**_

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><p>An elbow into his side jostled Cody out of his thoughts and he focused abruptly on Saa's bemused face.<p>

"You've just been asked a question, _ad'ika_," the older merc jerked his thumb toward the hovering Sol with a quirk of his lips.

"You have an introspective one there, eh, Saa?" the power chair-bound Mandalorian merely chuckled; his good humor washed over Cody like warm water and eased some of the clone's embarrassment.

"I suppose 'introspective' is one word for it," Saa snorted dryly and shot Cody another look – one full of unspoken humor, which belied the crispness of his tone.

"Sorry, I'm tired," Cody mumbled, not sure whether to join in Saa's amusement or to wither in his own self-consciousness; he scrubbed a hand roughly over his face and tried to refocus.

"Aren't we all?" Saa sighed heavily and Cody watched out of the corner of his eye as the merc flopped unceremoniously back onto his elbows.

"Ala is going to the kitchen to get us all refreshments. She was wondering if you would like some _behot_ tea?"Sol's voice finally managed to anchor the clone back into the present.

"Ah..." Cody blinked and glanced at Ala – who had gotten to her feet and had moved across the low-lit room to stand momentarily by a second covered doorway. "_Behot_?"

"If the dent in your armor is any indication, you've been injured," Ala waved a pale and slender hand toward the chest-plate sitting on the floor by Cody's cushion. "I'm afraid our medic is indisposed at the moment, but I can give you something for the pain in the meantime. We don't keep stims here, but_ behot _is an antiseptic herb, good for internal injuries as well. And it's a mild, natural stimulant, which might help a little bit with the pain."

"Won't a stimulant keep him awake?" Sheresh voiced the very concern that flashed through Cody's own mind.

Though, being kept awake was the least of Cody's concerns, when it came to stims. He chewed thoughtfully on his lip for a moment, before tentatively adding -

"I'm not sure a stimulant's such a good idea..." his voice trailed off uncertainly and he glanced at Saa for help.

"You'd have to take a _lot _of _behot _for it to be a problem," Saa shook his head, his voice low and surprisingly gentle. "I would actually recommend it, _ad'ika_. The beauty of_ behot _tea is that the water dilutes the herb, so it's not a concentrated dose. It'll do you some good, until you can be looked over professionally."

"I'll be back, then, with a cup," Ala settled the issue; the smile she flashed Cody was oddly sympathetic, as if she had somehow been able to read between Saa's words.

She didn't explain herself, however, and the willowy Twi'lek promptly disappeared behind the heavy leather curtain that Cody assumed separated the gathering room from the kitchen. Watching her leave piqued his curiosity about the layout of the _vheh'yaim_, but further exploration of the establishment was not currently an option, so he tried to find a more comfortable position on his over-sized cushion. As he moved about, the clone's eye caught Sol's and the two regarded each other silently; the dark-skinned Mandalorian had the same thoughtfully knowing look on his face that Ala had had and Cody felt as if his character was being quietly appraised.

"Now, I think we were still making introductions, _vode_," Sol addressed the general populous, but he kept an eye on Cody, as if still trying to make up his mind about the clone. "For those of us who may have been lost in their own thoughts," the dark Mandalorian's smile flashed bright and the sight of it made Cody feel a little less awkward. "We got as far as Tor and Ala," the outpost leader waved his hand toward the Zygerrian, who was still standing guard at the door, and then toward the nearby kitchen. "I believe we were moving next to my youngest_ ad'ika_, Orar."

The male who stood at the wave of Sol's hand was a complete contrast to his father-figure. Orar looked to be in his late teens or early twenties; he was almost as slender in build as Rowin, with pure white hair and matching skin. His eyes and his lips were both blue and he had three sharp, jagged black tattoos that clawed across his face, from just below the ear, across his throat, and down below the edge of his high tunic collar. Cody wondered if those tattoos were meant to cover facial scars – the former commander had known of a few clones over the course of the Wars who had chosen to transform their own scars in a similar manner.

If Sol was jovial and Tor was aggressive, Orar was _soulful_. He moved softly – even if it was just to his feet, from sitting cross-legged on a cushion – and his blue eyes were dark wells of quiet wisdom. In fact, Orar was unlike any Mandalorian Cody had met to date; everything about the young male suggested more of a scholar than a warrior. There were still blasters on Orar's belt, however, and there was a knife tucked into his right boot.

Looks, Cody decided, were always deceiving. Especially when it came to Mandalorians.

_Still..._ the clone rubbed his chest, which had been twinging slightly as if to remind him that his injury wasn't to be forgotten._ I wouldn't mind knowing what race he is. Never seen the likes of him before._

As if sensing Cody's thoughts – or, perhaps, reading them on the clone's oftentimes expressive face – Orar nodded his head at the group at large and answered the one question that was beginning to make the former commander itch with curiosity.

"Before I was Mandalorian, I was an Arkanian. I am an offshoot of that race, engineered specifically for one purpose," Orar glanced at Fives and then at Cody; there was a sudden kinship in the Mandalorian's dark eyes that took Cody by surprise. "I am not unlike you clones, perhaps, in that. Like Tor and Ala, I was a slave before Sol_'buir _and Bev_'ba'vodu_ found me."

"Beviin is my uncle – my _buir_'s biological and also Mandalorian brother," Sol explained the unfamiliar name, as Orar settled back down on his cushion of choice. "I've raised my children to call Bev_'ika 'ba'vodu'_, or 'uncle', as well," the family leader chuckled, as if recalling a private joke of his own. "May the old Wroonian outlive us all."

Cody glanced around the room, as he counted the remaining bodies. There were only four left – all Zabrak and members of what looked to be their own nuclear family within the extended clan. Sol confirmed this, as he moved his chair next to an adult female who had gotten to her feet after Orar sat down.

"This is now my second-eldest _ad'ika_, Ka'ra," there was a particular fondness in Sol's voice, but also a note of sadness; Cody wondered if the choice of the word "now" was an indirect acknowledgement of the eldest son that Sol and his family had recently laid to rest.

"_Su'cuy_!" Ka'ra's dusty-colored face burst into a welcoming smile; she seemed to share her adopted father's enthusiasm for hospitality. "I'm afraid that unlike the rest of my _vode_," the statuesque Zabrak motioned toward Orar and Tor with a casual sweep of her hand. "Sol'_buir_ rescued me from nothing more traumatic than a life-time of farming. I was once the youngest daughter of a Zabrak family in the southern hemisphere of this planet. And as the youngest daughter, I decided the life of a slicer-for-hire was far more exciting than planting crops."

Ka'ra – who seemed quite gregarious for_ both_ a Zabrak and a Mandalorian – turned toward the others sitting next to her and introduced them each in turn.

"This is my husband, Dha," Ka'ra's smile grew gentle as she rested her hand on the shoulder of a darker-skinned male Zabrak. "A more loyal husband one could never ask for and an even better father to our offspring," she pointed toward the two small bundles that Cody had correctly assumed were sleeping younglings. "You can't really tell them apart at the moment, but one is Kote and the other is Ven."

"How old are they?" Sheresh's tone was strangely wistful; Cody glanced at her and there was indeed a look of longing on the female's face that was obvious, despite the shadows in which she had chosen to sit.

"Kote is eight years old – his birthday is just past, in fact," a fierce pride flashed across Ka'ra's face and she puffed her ample chest out in a manner that would have been comical, had she not been a mother. "He's now old enough to begin his training with Dha."

"Training?" Fives, who Cody assumed probably knew next to nothing of Mandalorian culture, tilted his head a bit to the side in question.

"All Mandalorian younglings begin their five years of survival and military training at the age of eight. When they turn thirteen, it is traditional for them to take their _verd'goten_, or rite of passage. Upon successful completion of the _verd'goten_, the younglings are then considered full-fledged adults and may integrate fully into the Mandalorian culture," Saa took the opportunity to explain the unfamiliar concept with an ease that bespoke his experience in simplifying such concepts.

"And what about the other one?" Sheresh – who seemed quite interested in the little ones – steered the free-flowing conversation back on track, before Fives could open his mouth and ask yet another question.

The corner of Cody's mouth lifted as he glanced over at his brother. He could tell that Fives was taking it all in – the variety of sentients who called Sol "father", the presence of family, and the serenity of a place that was safe from immediate harm. A thoughtful look had replaced the initial suspiciousness of Fives' demeanor and the ARC glanced around with a carefulness that belied his interest.

"Ven?" Ka'ra had settled back down on her cushion; she reached over to pass a gentle hand over the top of a small, dark head. "Ven is five years old. You're all lucky she's asleep," the mother's traditionally tattooed face wrinkled further in a fond smile. "Normally, she would be trying to climb over all of you and asking a million questions at par-sec speed."

"Ah, to be that young again," Saa chuckled, his voice soft with memories that made Cody wonder what it was the old merc was remembering.

"We're still that young at heart, eh,_ vod_?" Sol laughed himself and the two patriarchs shared a knowing smile between themselves.

"Always, Sol. We'll leave the growing up to the young ones," Saa's green eyes danced mischievously as he glanced over at Cody; it was hard not to return the merc's infectious mirth and Cody ventured his first true smile since leaving Mydwyth.

Ala reappeared at that moment, balancing a tray of what were apparently drinks. She paused at the side of every sentient in the room, allowing each individual to take one of the earthenware cups from off of her tray. Cody wasn't sure what was in the cups, but he assumed that all of them contained the same liquid – except for the one in the very middle, which Ala reserved until she stopped at his side.

"_Behot_ tea," she offered him the center cup with a smile as warm as the steam that gently drifted up from the inside of the rough-made mug.

"_Vor entye_," the clone tried out some of the Mando'a that Saa had been teaching him on the side; the words felt clumsy in his mouth, but Ala's smile encouraged him.

It was a simple thing, to say "thank you" in another sentient's language, but Cody had long learned what a profound impact that could have in social interactions. If nothing else, it showed that he was trying to find his own place among the Mando'ad; that he, too, was trying to work out what it meant to be Mandalorian and to aspire to such a goal himself. He was surprised to discover, however, that speaking just a simple phrase in Mando'a, gave him a brief sense of kinship with other Mandalorians in the room. Suddenly uncertain, Cody glanced at Saa out of the corner of his eye. The older merc wasn't smiling – not quite – but the former commander had been around the Anobian long enough to catch the look of approval that warmed Saa's eyes.

"I see you've been working on this one," there was approval of a different sort in Sol's own deep voice.

"Much has changed, _vod_, since you and I last crossed paths during the Wars. But, I suppose you could say my experiences since then have fostered a sort of sentimentality toward clones. I'm merely extending to Cody the same chance that I offered to three of his brothers who came before him," Saa purposefully avoided Cody's gaze and instead directed his attention toward the small fire that crackled cheerfully in middle of their cushioned circle.

"And what offer might that be?" Sol asked the same question that popped to Cody's mind.

"Well...I suppose we ought to let Cody find that out for himself, don't you think?" Saa finally lifted his head and met the clone's eyes; there was something indescribable in the merc's face and Cody wished with a sudden fierceness that Saa would just say what was on his mind.

Cody barely dared to hope, but the deepest part of his soul wished that Saa would claim him in a formal fashion, with the Mandalorian adoption vow, as his son. It was one thing to claim Cody as Clan Par'jain in the face of an angry – and potentially homicidal – brother. But, the words of adoption had never passed Saa's lips. The merc had yet to refer to Cody definitively as "his son" and in moments like this, the clone was left on pins and needles, to hope perhaps in vain.

Saa seemed to sense what was on Cody's mind; his expression turned mysterious, almost mischievous, and he nodded toward the cooling mug in the clone's stiff hands.

"Drink up, _ad'ika,_" there was a slightly ironic lilt to the Mandalorian word for "son" that wasn't quite lost on Cody; the clone lifted a sardonic eyebrow and Saa raised one of his own right back at the former commander. "The _behot_ should help you get through the rest of the day."

"Oh, don't tell me you're going to keep us all up until a normal bedtime?" Sheresh almost whined, as she scrubbed her gloved hands over her face and groaned.

"I'm at least going to keep you all up until we have word that the baby's born," Saa shot his clan member a stern look.

"Is that another Mando custom?" Rowin – who Cody had mistakenly thought was asleep, with his back against the sturdy wall and his eyes shut – opened one blue eye and peered uncertainly first at Saa and then at Sol.

"It _is_ customary for adult members of the family to stay awake in sympathy to the parents-to-be until the youngling is born, yes," Sol answered this time; Cody wondered if the Mandalorian ever _didn't_ smile, as his voice still carried a hint of good humor.

"Holy heavenly hutch," Rowin muttered under his breath and promptly closed his eye; Saa tossed a pillow at the space-rabbit's head.

"Be respectful," was all Saa said, but his tone was enough for Rowin to harrumph under his breath, open his eyes, and push himself off of the wall.

Cody finally remembered his_ behot_ tea, however, and he took his first tentative sip. The herb in question had a strong citrus taste – tangy and slightly tart. The tea had been sweetened with some variety of honey, which gave it a mellow, earthy after-taste that counter-balanced some of the sharper flavor. There was no immediate affect of the tea, but Cody could feel its warmth slip down his throat and tingle beneath the tenderness of his wounded chest.

"Have you taken a look at your injury?" Ala surprised Cody and he turned his head around abruptly to see that she had taken a seat on the empty cushion next to him.

He looked at her, wide-eyed, and then glanced surreptitiously toward Tor, who was still standing guard by the door. The Zygerrian met the clone's gaze, but his expression was neutral at best; Cody couldn't gain any insight into the Mandalorian's inner thoughts and so he turned back to Ala, nonplussed. He was surprised to see that she had chosen to sit down next to him – he hadn't had any contact with any other females besides Tay and Hella in the last year, so the novelty of an unknown female choosing to keep company with him was a little unnerving. He was also slightly unsettled by the look of intense interest that lit up Ala's face as she leaned toward him with sudden resolve.

"Uh...um...no," he remembered the Twi'lek's question long enough to stammer out an answer.

Her eyes lit up and Cody felt himself leaning away from her out of a carefully cultured sense of self-preservation. She didn't exactly remind him of Tay, but the last time that he had had seen such a look of single-minded attentiveness on a female, he had been on the receiving end of a Jedi's particular affections.

"If you'll open up your flight-suit, I'll be glad to take a look at your injury for you."

Cody couldn't help himself – his eyes widened at Ala's bold suggestion that he partially strip in front of complete strangers. Baffled, the clone glanced toward Saa, who's slowly unfolding grin didn't offer any assistance whatsoever. Cody then looked toward Tor, in hopes of silently beseeching the Zygerrian to call off his wife. The ex-slave merely smirked and leaned a shoulder casually against the front door frame as he folded his arms over his chest.

"A modest man, aren't you?" there was almost a note of respect in Tor's raspy voice; Cody shifted his gaze back at Ala, who was still watching him expectantly.

"Does your wife usually ask strangers to undress?" Cody put a particular inflection into the word 'wife' and directed it bluntly toward Ala, in the hopes of forcing her to back off.

Tor's chuckle just drifted slowly across the silent gathering. Cody spared another quick scowl at Saa, who's grin only widened as he shrugged. The look on the merc's weathered face was one of well-schooled innocence. Cody narrowed his eyes at his elder and fought the urge to pick a verbal fight. Trying to bait Saa into a confrentation in order to avoid Ala's attention would not end in Cody's favor, though the clone was left to wonder why the_ alor _had decided to leave him at the Twi'lek's mercy.

"Our medic has been training Ala to take his place, since he feels that his time here at _Vecuyan_ is only temporary," Sol decided to assume Saa's usual place as the cultural go-between and explain the suddenly awkward situation; the Mandalorian's smile flashed bright in the flickering firelight. "I can assure you, Cody Par'jain, that her interest in you is merely professional."

"Oh," Cody still eyed Ala suspiciously, now uncertain of her qualifications.

All of his injuries in the past had been tended to by other brothers – clone medics assigned to whatever platoon he had served with at the time of his injury – or by Kaminoans, when he was a child. Once, he had been seen by a Corellian doctor, but that had been for his eye, when his signature facial scar had been too fresh to even scab over. Even then, the consultation had been overseen by a clone medical officer assigned to the ARC commander training battalion. The only time Cody had ever received any kind of medical care from a female, was when Tay had taken it upon herself to clean him up, patch him up, and make him whole.

Ala was a stranger and even more strange, for being female. Cody was reluctant to trust her, even though his sides ached in protest against his innate stubbornness.

"Oh, for Manda's sake, let her take a look at you!" Sheresh surprised everyone present by expressing her apparently simmering exasperation. "She's not going to hurt you any more than you already are!"

"I can't, really," Ala softened the severity of Sheresh's temper with a reassuring smile. "I can only assess the extent of your external injuries. I just want to make sure you haven't cracked a rib or anything, since you look like you're having trouble breathing and moving."

Everyone turned to look at Sheresh in surprise and the female Mandalorian unapologetically returned their stares. She shot Fives an especially scorching look; Cody glanced at his brother in time to see the ARC reward the bounty hunter's audacity with what was quite possibly one of the best scathing scowls the former commander had ever seen. Sheresh finally rolled her eyes over the rim of her still gently steaming mug and muttered something under her breath as she took a sip. Cody couldn't catch all of what she said, but it sounded suspiciously like "kriffin' younglings." Fives happened to glance toward Cody and the two shared a look of mutual indignation – Cody couldn't recall the last time he had been referred to as a "youngling", though he was willing to bet it had been by one of his instructors on Kamino.

Fives seemed to remember the same thing, because the ARC rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to Numa. Cody eyed Sheresh a second time, but she had leaned back on her cushion and was frowning thoughtfully at the tip of her boots. The clone then remembered Hella having mentioned to Saa during their holo-com meeting that the then-unknown bounty hunter had once been numbered as one of the Cuy'val Dar. He considered Sheresh yet again in a new light; remembering Hella's indirect revelation of the bounty hunter's identity made the red-haired woman's outburst a little more understandable. If she was, in fact, a former Cuy'val Dar, then he was probably not the first clone Sheresh had ever lost her temper with and probably not the first time she had done so over a disregarded wound.

_Force knows my own instructors yelled at me plenty of times for 'not taking care of myself',_ the corners of Cody's mouth twitched faintly at the memory. _And they hadn't even been Mandalorian._

He had heard stories about the Mandalorian Cuy'val Dar – as had most of the "ordinary" clone troopers. While most of those stories had generally been treated as rumors and soldiers' myths at the time, Cody now wondered if perhaps there was some truth behind them after all. One of the traits of the Cuy'val Dar – with only a few suggested exceptions – that had been recounted in trooper tales, had been the instructors' collective attitude toward their clone charges. "Tough", "fierce" and "protective" were all adjectives Cody had heard used at one time or another in regards to the Cuy'val Dar – in any event, many troopers had come to envy their commando counterparts, for the care that they had been given during their years of Kamino training.

For the most part, no one doubted that a commando had been trained by the best, to be the best – and that they had been given more than just elite skills. Every commando Cody knew, had come out of Kamino with a name, while there were whole batches of troopers who hadn't earned their names until they had faced the fury of Geonosis or beyond. Cody also couldn't recall a single commando that he had ever met, who hadn't had a sense of heritage; he now knew that tight-knit aura of identity that seemed to permeate most commando attitudes had to have been fostered by Mandalorian mentors. Mentors like Sheresh, who clearly commanded respect and showed concern for her charges in return.

All of Cody's thoughts passed through his mind in a matter of seconds and no one seemed to notice that he had focused so intently on Sheresh during those silent moments. Since losing himself to his own thoughts wasn't going to change anybody's circumstances, Cody shifted his attention back to Ala, who was still patiently waiting for him to make a move.

The clone searched her green eyes for any hint of duplicitious, but Ala's gaze was clear and earnest. Finally, he nodded, as if to confirm her observation that he was indeed having difficulty with even minor movements. He winced as he reached up and began to gingerly open the front of his 'suit; Cody tucked his chin in toward his neck and glanced down at his chest as he unveiled the damage done.

There wasn't much to see at first, though there was a rather interesting pattern of blood marks, where his chest plate had bit through his 'suit to break the skin below. As he painfully shrugged a shoulder free of his right sleeve, Cody began to see the beginnings of a particularly magnificent bruise that radiated out across his muscled chest. Ala reached out as he tried – and failed – to pull his left arm free of his sleeve. Pain weakened Cody's defenses and he didn't shy away from her touch, as she helped him peel back his 'suit.

"What hit you?" her smooth, cream-colored forehead wrinkled delicately as she bit her lip and frowned at his chest.

"Chunk of duracrete," Cody wheezed; trying to wiggle out of the top half of his 'suit had left him breathless.

Ala's fingers were warm – a peculiar contrast to his memories of Tay's hands, which had always been pleasantly cool against his skin. The Twi'lek brushed her hand across his chest, which made Cody slightly uncomfortable, but a wary look into her face quieted any fears he might have had of misplaced attraction. Her expression was as intent as any medic's that he had seen in such situations before; her fingers probed gently, but there was definitely a clinical quality about her touch that put the clone at ease.

Being touched by a female was still hard, despite the night that he had spent in Tay's bed. While the Miraluka Jedi had done an excellent job of teaching Cody that touch had a wider range of emotion beyond those that were sexual, it was still difficult to accept skin-to-skin contact with another female. Touch – in all of its wonderful implications – was something he had only ever really shared with Tay. The only other template he had for touch came from Jaria and in the absence of his Jedi, Cody's instincts reverted back to those that been programmed before Tay's time. Mentally, he knew that Ala's interest stemmed only from professional concern; emotionally, however, the former commander had no idea how to react.

Pain distracted him from his inner turmoil and sharply realigned Cody's floundering emotions. The touch that probed – however gently – along his right ribcage was all medic and he suddenly had no problem whatsoever in reacting to Ala accordingly.

"'Fek!" Cody swore fiercely under his breath and it took all the discipline he had not to pull himself away from Ala's hand.

"I don't feel any internal injury in your pectorals, though you may have sustained some muscle contusion," Ala removed her hand and Cody managed a shallow sigh of relief. "With enough force from a blast, you could have bruised deeply enough for the pain to inhibit your breathing, though I think it'll get better in a day or two. I think you may have broken a rib or two, however," she shook her head and her lekku bounced gently across her slender shoulders. "I'll need a bioscanner to know more than that, but I'm afraid Kix has that at the moment."

Cody was too stunned – and out of breath – to respond, but Fives perfectly verbalized the former commander's mental mixture of astonishment and alarm.

"Did you just say '_Kix_' had it?" the ARC didn't even bother to keep a straight face; surprise flickered swiftly through his dark eyes and his whole body snapped to alert.

"Well, speak of a devil and he shall appear," Sol's power chair whirred gently as the Mandalorian turned around and drew every eye in the room toward a third doorway that stood adjacent to the kitchen.

"You've_ got_ to be kidding me," Fives muttered, just loud enough for Cody and those closest to him to hear.

Even Cody didn't want to believe it, but there was Sergeant Kix of the 501st, standing in front of them in the flesh. The medic was slightly sweaty, exhausted, and oddly triumphant; his eyes widened as they roved over Fives' face and then over Cody's, but the surprise he clearly felt at seeing unexpected brothers didn't dim the excitement that threatened to burst out of him at any moment.

And, in mere seconds, Cody decided that he would never again doubt the Force, nor question its hand within the unexplainable coincidences that seemed to direct his life as of late. As he gazed at the clone medic framed in the _vheh'yaim_ doorway, the former commander became a firm believer in both Fate and the Force. The Jedi were all but gone, the Republic's millennia of order and light had been extinguished, and both by his own hand – yet, the Force was still at work within the galaxy.

Cody knew, in every fiber of his being, that there was no longer such a thing in his life as "random chance."

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><p><strong>AN:** _*dramatic drumroll* Aaaaaand...yet another chapter for your reading pleasure. :)_ _I'm afraid I don't have much to say this time around, since it's late and I've had a pretty busy day. But, there's just a week and three days left of NaNoWriMo, so the updates will keep on coming! Stay tuned!_

_Many warm thanks and love to **witchcoven** (thank you for the review! I'm always thrilled to learn that people are reading, even when they don't review much!), **Codywolf**, **LongLiveTheClones**, and **laloga**. You're a dedicated bunch of folks...and I am always honored to read your praise, encouragement, questions, and comments._

_And, because I forgot to mention this in my last A/N...many thanks (again) to** laloga** for letting me borrow** Ferro**! ^^ We'll be seeing some more of him soon!_

_Love it? Like it? Hate it? Lemme know!_


	12. Wisdom, Justice, & Love3

_"This business of burning human beings with napalm; filling our nation's homes with orphans and widows; Of injecting poisonous drugs of hate into veins of people normally humane..."_

"**Wisdom, Justice, and Love"**

**Linkin Park**

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><p>"Candeera and the baby are fine," Kix seemed to sense that the room gathered in front of him was about to burst with a hundred different questions; the medic raised his hands, as if to stem the verbal tide. "She had a little girl. Drali will be out shortly – she's offered to clean up for me. Rys is fine, too, if hungry and Can'ika could use some broth – something bland that will break her fast from last night."<p>

"I'll get that," Ala rose gracefully to her feet and seemed to float past everyone else as she made her way to the kitchen door.

She paused just long enough to put her hand on Kix's shoulder; the two shared a brief, if radiant smile, before she disappeared behind the doorway curtain. The clone medic sighed, as if letting go of a great weight, and ran a hand wearily over his head. Cody was mildly surprised to see that Kix still shaved his hair and that his Aurebesh tattoo still stood out against his skin. The medic's eyes roved carefully over each newcomer and Cody could tell that Kix's instincts were as strong as ever – the former commander could tell that the ex-trooper was taking stock of the crew's apparent injuries.

"Rest, _Baar'ur,_" Orar patted the cushion next to him, but Kix shook his head.

"Looks like I still have some work to do," the medic moved past Orar's offered seat, but he paused just long enough to touch the Arkanian's shoulder in wordless thanks.

"It would seem that your work is never done, eh, Kix?" Sol smiled, but Cody saw exhaustion finally settle across the Mandalorian's thick shoulders.

"Not when you keep bringing refugees to me," Kix murmured as he knelt down by Sheresh's foot.

The clone's strong hands rested gently on the bounty hunter's foot and Cody watched as Kix's fingers probed along Sheresh's ankle. The medic's back was half-turned toward both Fives and Cody, but the former commander could see Kix's profile in sharp relief. There was a thoughtful look on Kix's unshaven face and he seemed to be staring off into space as he let his fingers gather the information that he needed.

"I'm going to guess you haven't taken anything for the swelling, have you?" Kix arched an eyebrow at Sheresh as he shifted his focus up to her face.

"Haven't really thought about. I have to admit I've been in a bit of a daze since I sat down. Though, now that you mention it," Sheresh motioned wearily toward the pack that she had set down on the floor next to her cushion. "I still have the meds that you gave me yesterday."

"Good," Kix nodded to himself.

The medic reached out and decisively grabbed a hold of Sheresh's pack. Without asking once for her permission, he opened a pouch at the front of the pack and pulled it open to peer inside its depths. After a moment's silent consideration, Kix reached in and pulled out a small bottle that rattled cheerfully in his hand.

"Have you had anything to eat?"

"No," Sheresh seemed to realize that it had been hours since she – or any of them – had eaten; her tone was understandably abashed.

"I'll go help Ala in the kitchen," Orar practically flowed to his feet.

The pale Mandalorian's movements were fluid and flawless. Cody couldn't help but be duly impressed by the young male's grace – the clone had rarely seen such agility in a sentient who wasn't a Jedi.

"I think she said earlier that she meant to put some leftover_ tiingilar_ in the oven to warm," Tor hadn't moved from beside the main door, but his interest still seemed focused on the interactions taking place within the gathering room.

"I'll see if she remembered," Orar offered his first smile of the evening; Cody usually only had an eye for female beauty, but even he had to appreciate the sudden handsomeness of the Arkanian's good humor. "Our Ala can be quite forgetful."

"And yet she never forgets the things I _want_ her to forget," Tor muttered and Dha startled everyone with a hearty chuckle.

"Females never do, _ner vod_," the Zabrak's voice was impossibly deep and even richer that Sol's; it was the kind of voice that could lull one to sleep or into a false sense of security.

"And you males never remember the things we _need_ you to remember," Ka'ra countered back sharply, but there was a telling twinkle in her eyes. "So, I'd say our dueling genders are even, husband."

"Take two of these after eating," Kix's bemused voice cut through the banter, as he pressed two small, white pills into the palm of Sheresh's hand. "I'm sure that's not something you'll easily forget."

"Cheeky bugger," Sheresh snorted, but her lips quirked upward in a tell-tale smile.

Kix flashed her an appropriately saucy grin, before getting smoothly to his feet and moving toward Saa. Cody's interest sharpened to something more protective, as he watched the former 501st medic settle back on his haunches in front of the merc's foot.

"Mind if I take a look?" Kix's hands hovered over Saa's boot as he waited patiently for permission to touch.

"Not at all, but I can pretty much tell you what's wrong,_ ad'ika_," if Saa was shocked to run into his fourth new clone in as many hours, he didn't show it.

"And what's that?" Kix quirked an eyebrow.

"Nothing a good, stiff shot of Mandallian Narcolethe won't fix," was the stout reply; Kix looked less than impressed and Cody had to stifle a chuckle.

"No medic in his right mind would prescribe you alcohol -"

"He would if he was Mandalorian," Ka'ra piped up impishly; Kix had his back to her and Cody watched with some amusement as the medic rolled his eyes.

"My training won't allow for that."

"Seems to me that by sitting here in front of me, that you've been doing quite a lot lately that your 'training won't allow'," Saa's observations were as cutting as always; Cody had to hide a sudden smirk behind his hand.

_I could definitely get used to this._

"This" being the spectacle of someone_ other_ than himself having to deal with the old merc's abrasive personality and jarring commentary. However, some reactions were the same regardless of the clone; Kix rolled calmly with Saa's verbal punches and didn't seem cowed in the slightest.

"I have some options for the pain, if you'll tell me what the extent of your injuries are," Kix's voice was calm and measured, as if he were talking to a wounded trooper in triage. "But, I'm afraid none of those options mix well with alcohol. _Especially_ not_ Mandalorian_ alcohol."

Saa gave in at that and Cody suspected that – as usual – the merc had been messing around with Kix in order to get some sense of the man's temperament. The elder Mando's manner could often come across as socially inappropriate, but Cody had to admit that Saa's methods of measuring up others were always effective. And almost always accurate.

"It's an old injury, _baar'ur_, that wasn't improved by running around with Cod'_ika_'s old general," Saa jerked his chin toward Cody and briefly alluded to the incident on Bellassa, when they had all run afoul of a bounty hunter who's name the former commander still didn't know. "The cold, the wet, and the urgency hasn't helped matters any tonight, but for what it's worth, I always limp."

"Chronic pain?" Kix frowned slightly.

"Eh," Saa shrugged, ever the stoic. "Some times more than others."

"Blaster wound?" the medic continued to needle Saa for details.

"Yes."

"On both occasions?"

"Yes."

"I think some of the meds I gave the good Sergeant," Kix glanced over toward Sheresh, who nodded in response and reached for the bottle that the medic had left by her bag. "Will work well for you as well. I'm afraid we don't have anything too heavy around here," a strange emotion washed across Kix's face, but Cody was unable to identify it. "But, I can at least give you something fairly generic to combat the swelling and the discomfort."

"Thank you, _ad'ika_," for all of his bluster, Saa sounded genuinely relieved.

Sheresh tossed the bottle in question to Kix and the medic caught it with seemingly effortless ease. He twisted off the top and shook out two round pills into his hand, which he then transferred to Saa.

"Make sure to take these with food, though," the prescription was succinct and professional; Saa nodded silently in understanding.

Kix moved away from Saa and Cody thought, at first, that his brother was moving toward him. But, someone else seemed to have caught the medic's eye and Cody twisted around in his seat to watch Kix make a beeline toward Rowin. The former commander then realized why no one had "heard" from Kil since they had all settled down in front of the fire. The ex-Jedi was curled up on her cushion – almost like Numa and Ka'ra's younglings – with her head propped up on Rowin's thigh as if the Lepi's armored leg was nothing more than a pillow. She had her back toward all of them and her face toward the wall, but the slow, rhythmic rise and fall of her side bore witness to her comatose condition.

Kix took a knee beside her and glanced briefly at the Lepi, as if sensing the rabbit's protective instinct toward the sleeping female. Rowin eyed the medic skeptically for a moment or two, but then nodded his head in silent consent. Only then did Kix lean forward over the spacer's still form and place a hand gently on her shoulder.

"How long as she been asleep?" Kix's voice was so low that Cody almost didn't catch what he said.

"I think she fell asleep 'bout ten minutes after we sat down," Rowin's voice was equally hushed; the Lepi glanced at Sol in something of an apology. "I didn't have the heart to wake her back up, even if it_ is_ customary to stay awake with the expecting family. She's been through a lot..."

The rabbit's voice trailed off uncertainly, but Sol just waved his hand briefly in the air, as if to dismiss the Lepi's fears of cultural insensitivity. Even though the Mandalorian didn't say a word, Cody had to agree with the unspoken insinuation – considering the circumstances, Kil could be easily forgiven.

"Has she eaten anything?" Kix's hands moved in professional moderation as he pressed fingers against the side of Kil's throat and against her forehead.

"Not in the last six hours," Rowin shook his head. "I wouldn't be surprised if she hasn't eaten all day. She's a level-headed woman, but stress makes her a fickle eater."

"You might want to see if you can wake her up long enough for her to eat," Kix settled his hand again on Kil's narrow shoulder. "I expect most of us will sleep at least twelve or so hours straight once we all get to bed. It's not wise to let her go almost two whole days without eating."

"Shouldn't be much of a problem. She's been a pretty light sleeper since -" Rowin paused and glanced toward Fives and Cody. "Well...for a while," he finished lamely.

"I'll leave you to it, then," Kix seemed to ignore Rowin's near-mention of Order 66, though a thoughtful look crossed the medic's face as he stood up and finally moved toward Cody.

"You and Fives get in a fight, sir?" Kix raised both of his eyebrows as he settled down in front of Cody and did a visual scan of his former officer's injuries.

"Ah...not quite. The distinction of fighting with Fives would go to Sergeant Par'jain," Cody didn't even realize that he had lapsed into military protocol in the face of what was once one of his junior troops.

In a way, he was surprised that he could even speak intelligently to Kix. Facing Fives was one thing, as the trooper had often operated separately from the 501st after his elevation to ARC. Cody had long grown accustomed to thinking of Fives as his own independent agent; Kix, however, was another matter entirely. Kix had never been anything _but_ 501st, at least so far as Cody knew, and where there was 501st, there was Appo.

And, conversely, Rex.

Cody felt his heart twist cruelly at the thought of Rex. The loss of his best friend was particularly sharp when faced with one of the good Captain's finest medics. Cody almost wanted to ask Kix if he knew what had become of Rex – if, as Cody hoped, his friend had rescued Commander Tano from Order 66. There was a chance – however slight – that Kix might know where Rex was last seen, or if Rex had somehow found the safety that eluded the rest of those who had deserted.

But, Cody couldn't bring himself to ask and his tongue stayed plastered firmly to the roof his mouth. He wasn't yet sure if he could handle Kix's answers – even if they were nothing more than "I don't know." After dealing with Korbin's open animosity and Fives' healthy paranoia, Cody also wasn't sure if he could handle _any_ sort of emotional response from Kix. At the moment, the medic was in his professional mindset; the former commander decided it was wise to leave Kix to that frame of mind until they had all had some sleep.

While Cody struggled with his own inner demons, Kix had shifted his attention briefly to Sheresh. There was even a sense of alarm in the clone's question, as he raised inquiring eyebrows.

"Do you have any other injuries I should know about, Sergeant?" Kix's focus flickered toward Fives and Cody thought he saw something like disapproval in the medic's brown eyes.

"No," Sheresh shook her head; the firelight reflected off her skin and gave her face a rather attractive ruddy glow. "I think my armor took the brunt of the attack," she softened her words by directing a small smile toward Fives.

The ARC harrumphed under his breath, but wisely kept his tongue. He did give Sheresh a strange look, however, and her smile merely turned more winsome in response. Cody caught Kix's eye and the medic just shrugged, as if to say "I have no idea"; the dynamic between Sheresh and Fives was strange and was made only more awkward by the fact that neither one of them had explained why they were so antagonistic toward each other.

It also didn't look like they were going to start explaining themselves any time soon. Satisfied that Fives hadn't done any more damage to Sheresh than scratch her armor, Kix turned his attention back to Cody and frowned slightly at the bruise spreading across his chest.

"Well, if it wasn't Fives, what happened, sir?"

Cody was a little startled to hear the term "sir" again; he sat silent for a few stunned seconds, before responding to Kix's question. The former commander hadn't been called "sir" with genuine respect since Bellassa – since his desertion, he had been among either enemies, peers, or authority figures. It was strange to hear Kix still defer to his former rank – it was also strangely heartening. The medic was not hostile in any way, not even subtly; if anything, Kix treated Cody as he always had, with respect and professional concern.

"Piece of duracrete got thrown by an explosion – hit me in the chest," Cody explained in as few words as he could manage; the pain wasn't getting any better by being left unattended.

"Huh," Kix continued to eye Cody's chest, even as he rocked back on his heels and fished for something in one of his pant pockets.

It was then that Cody realized that Kix wasn't in armor, either. Like Ferro, the clone medic was completely mundane, dressed as he was in civilian clothes. He was wearing a pair of black mechanic pants – identifiable by all of the pockets along the legs – and a dark blue tunic that buttoned up along the left side. Kix had rolled up his long sleeves to just above his elbows and the only hint to his prior military profession was his black leather, calf-high utility boots.

Cody's inspection of Kix's attire was cut short, however, when the medic finally managed to pull a small bioscan out of his pocket. Without much ado, the clone fiddled briefly with some of the knobs on the top of the scanner, punched a few buttons on the front screen, and then held it up in front of Cody's chest. The scanner never actually touched the injured clone's chest, but that was the beauty of most hand-held bioscanners. Even a moderately-trained medic could take stock of a patient's biological condition, by simply passing the scanner over the body and taking note of the diagnostic read-out.

Cody himself had used them before and knew how indispensable they could be – especially on the battlefield, after the blasters had stopped firing. All too often, a bioscanner was all that could tell the difference between the dead and the living; especially when most vital signs couldn't be readily determined through full-body armor.

"No internal injuries, it looks like," Kix delivered his diagnosis after several long seconds; he glanced up from the scanner in his hands and smiled briefly in encouragement. "Though, you'll have one hell of a bruise, sir."

"No broken ribs?" Cody was a bit surprised, especially after how much it had hurt when Ala had touched his side.

"No sir," Kix glanced down at his scanner and shook his head confidently. "Nothing's coming up. Your armor appears to have absorbed the majority of the shock – impressive, really," the medic shifted his attention toward the dented chest plate that lay on the floor beside them.

"And that would be Mandalorian _beskar_ at it's finest," Saa's voice was understandably proud; Cody flashed the older merc a short smile and even Kix turned his head to consider the grizzled Anobian for a moment.

"It certainly holds up to its reputation," Kix's eyes flickered toward Sol, who chuckled and crossed his massive arms over his equally broad chest. "Maybe I should let you teach me how to make some armor after all, Sol."

"It would be the first step to being a Mandalorian," Sol quirked an eyebrow and Kix just rolled his shoulders in a shrug.

"Still haven't made up my mind about that," the medic turned his attention back to Cody and scratched his chin as he considered the extent of his brother's wounds. "In any event...you owe your chest plate some well-deserved gratitude, sir," Kix offered Cody a humble smile. "I don't need to tell you what usually happens on the wrong end of an explosion. You're lucky you didn't even crack a rib."

"Ala thought I might have," Cody reached up tentatively and touched his bare chest for the first time.

He grimaced as he ran his fingers cautiously over his hypersensitive skin. His whole chest throbbed and he didn't need Kix to tell him that it would be several weeks before his bruised muscles had healed. His side especially ached and it surprised him to find out that he hadn't broken anything there.

"Bioscan comes up clear," Kix double-checked, just to make sure. "Not so much as a hairline fracture. Though," the medic suddenly leaned forward and gently grasped Cody's upper arm.

Kix lifted his ex-commander's arm and considered the skin along his patient's ribcage. Cody glanced down himself, in hopes of seeing what it was that had caught Kix's interest. Besides several darkening shades of black and purple along his side, Cody couldn't see any further damage. But then Kix probed a little further back along Cody's ribs and the clone gasped as his medic's fingers found broken skin.

"Looks like your armor bit through your flight suit, sir," Kix lifted Cody's arm a little higher and ducked his head underneath the former commander's bicep.

The medic took a closer look where Cody's ribcage curved toward his back; Cody absently noted that the area that had caught Kix's interest, also happened to be the place where his chest and back plates met. The two pieces of armor were separate, to allow greater mobility, but it seemed that Cody had inadvertently found a flaw in the design.

"But, the good news is, besides that gash along your ribcage and the cuts on your chest, you're fairly unscathed," Kix finally let go of Cody's arm and leaned back with a look of satisfaction. "Your chest is going to hurt like hells, though, for about two weeks. I'll ask Ala to put some bacta patches on those cuts for you, but I'm afraid you'll have to take it easy for a few days. You can probably start moving around like usual in about three days, but don't push yourself until you've given your body about a week or more to heal fully. That's a pretty nasty bruise you've got."

"That's putting it mildly," Cody sighed; normally, he didn't like to 'take it easy' and there would have once been a time when he would have fought Kix's recommendation.

But, truth be told, he was older and wiser than the_ last_ time he had been on the receiving end of Kix's expertise. Cody didn't exactly have data to prove it, but he knew, deep down, that it was getting harder and harder for his body to heal itself. He was getting older – and rapidly so. His mind moved, unbidden, to Tay and he sighed again.

No, he wouldn't argue with Kix. Taking 'it easy for a few days' sounded like a very reasonable request at the moment – of course, it helped that Cody was exhausted and wanted nothing so much as a blanket and uninterrupted sleep. And, there was the issue of his aging and Tay – Cody's eyes drifted over toward the sleeping younglings curled up on the cushion next to Dha and Ka'ra. He rubbed his chest again and considered a vague thought that he hadn't allowed himself ever before.

He wanted children. A legacy, perhaps, to leave behind him, so his short life wasn't a_ total _waste. Ignoring Kix's professional suggestions would only shorten his lifespan and at the moment, Cody wanted as much out of the time he had left as possible. No, he'd listen to Kix. He had a female of his own to protect, a home to defend, and a hopeful future for once.

_I just hope we_ have_ two weeks for all of us to rest and recover_, Cody glanced at Sol and then at Saa; that was something he wanted to ask his mentor once they had all gotten a chance to sleep.

How long were they planning on staying at _Vecuyan_? Common sense dictated that they weren't leaving any time soon – not with Appo combing the streets of Cree'dee and the surrounding countryside for them. But, surely Appo wouldn't stay in such a backwater place for long, especially not if his search continued to prove unproductive. Cody was more than familiar with the efficiency of command and with the calculating mindset of a clone commander._ If_ they were successful in keeping their presence at _Vecuyan_ secret – and_ if_ Korbin kept up his end of the bargain, when Appo came snooping into the foothills – then the star destroyer would be forced to return to the larger capitol, if only to refuel and resupply. Cree'dee was too small of a city to sustain a large garrison, much less a whole star destroyer – Cody did hope, however, that Appo didn't push his troops and supplies to their maximum.

Two weeks away from Tay was barely tolerable. Longer than that? Especially without communication? Cody wasn't naive enough to think that he'd be able to contact her; he didn't need to ask Saa to know that they would have to maintain comm silence during their time with Sol and his family. The clone commander privately hoped that they all had enough time to recover, heal, and regroup – but not so much time that months went by without any word or hope of home. Cody didn't think he could bear it; already, he longed for Tay and for her healing hands. He had grown accustomed to her being there – even if only over a holo-com – and being isolated from her was almost as painful as the bruise that currently dominated his upper torso.

"Hey, sir?" someone snapped their fingers right under Cody's nose and he jerked painfully back to the present.

The former commander blinked and refocused his attention on Kix's troubled face. A rueful smile pulled up the corners of Cody's mouth and he rubbed a hand over his face with a low groan.

"Did I zone out again?" Cody asked, bemused, from beneath his rough and weathered fingers.

"Yeah, just a bit," Kix chuckled, as if to soften some of Cody's embarrassment. "No biggie, sir. Just means that you need to get some food in you as soon as possible and into a bed right after that."

"Bed sounds good," Cody sighed almost wistfully; he tried to will himself_ not_ to think of Tay - especially not Tay naked and willing in his arms - but his mental self-control was completely shot at this point.

Images and memories from the morning before flickered through his mind and Cody couldn't help but sigh one more time. It really wouldn't be soon enough for him, before they set their sights back toward home and Mydwyth.

"I think bed is my primary recommendation for all of you," Kix glanced around at all of the newcomers, from Saa, to Sheresh, and everyone in between. "But as for you, sir," he turned his gaze back to Cody for a few more moments. "I think you should take two of these for pain," Sheresh's medicine bottle reappeared and was shortly followed by two small pills. "And be sure to finish the rest of the _behot_ tea. In fact, I'd recommend some _behot_ tea at _every_ meal, until you start to feel a little better. It'll help with your energy levels and with any internal infections that might be lurking under those open wounds."

Kix struggled to his feet; exhaustion was deeply etched into the lines of his face and Cody realized with a start that they were all growing old. Lines of worry, stress, and tension were beginning to leave their marks around their mouths and eyes; Kix looked a little more worse for the wear than either him or Fives, though. Cody wondered why that was; he glanced around the small room, at Sheresh, and Kil, and Saa, and thought that maybe he might know why age seemed to be hitting Kix so hard.

The former commander had heard once or twice before that stress could accelerate a clone's aging. Battle, war, death, and chaos didn't lead to quiet lives and Cody had known some brothers from his own batch get gray hair toward the end of the Wars. He eyed Kix's closely shaved head and wondered if the medic was starting to gray as well – the lines around his mouth made him look almost ten years older than Cody himself. The ex-trooper's heart was heavy; Kix had the hardest job of any soldier. It was up to him to see to the physical, and often-times emotional, well-being of any sentient touched by war – be they brother, civilian, Jedi, or enemy.

As Kix moved over toward Fives, Cody realized – for the thousandth time – that a medic's work was never done. If anyone would age quickly because of the weight of responsibility put upon him, it would be a medic. Cody was sure that the things Kix had seen – and quite possibly_ done_ – since Order 66 hadn't helped his brother's unnatural biological advancement, either. It brought his own mortality into sharp relief and for a moment, Cody glanced away and tried not to dwell on the uncomfortable reality that threatened to taint the happiness that he had found with Tay.

"So, what happened to you..._Captain_?" Kix seemed more surprised by Fives' rank than by his injury, as he crouched down beside the ARC, on the opposite side of Numa.

"Got commissioned after Umbara, for exposing General Krell," Fives spoke slowly, as if reluctant to mention a battle that had left a sour impression with many clones in the wake of the Dark Jedi's legendary carnage.

Cody raised his eyebrows slightly – the War had dissolved into sheer chaos after that point, events hurtling ever faster toward Operation Nightfall and Order 66. He had stopped keeping such close tabs on Fives after Umbara – in fact, the ARC had practically melted into the Wars' background, while Cody had been caught in the fervor of a commander's constant responsibilities. Cody had always meant to ask Rex what had happened to the young ARC – who had gained quite a reputation among the 501st for his bold behavior against General Krell – but time had always gotten in the way.

Not to mention...Umbara had altered Rex. Something about Cody's life-long friend had changed by the time the 212st's headquarters platoon had reached the Umbaran airbase that the 501st had fought so hard to claim. It had become harder to talk to Rex after that; for many weeks in the aftermath of the battle, the stalwart Captain had seemed deeply troubled, but had never shared his worries with Cody. The former commander now had time to ponder that change and Rex's puzzling silence; he glanced over at Fives and suddenly wondered if it was the ARC's first act of defiance at Umbara, that had inspired Rex to actions that would place his name on the Wanted Lists.

"I got a field promotion to captain at Felucia, then, about three months before the end of the Wars," Fives paused and took a deep breath; something like anger flashed through his fierce brown eyes and Cody found himself wondering even more about the ARC's post-Umbara life. "It was supposed to be posthumous – the promotion, that is."

"Well, I'm glad to see it wasn't, sir," Kix replied with gentle sincerity as he reached for Fives' injured hand.

"I have two Jedi to thank for that," Fives admitted quietly and some of the ferocity in his face softened; Cody knew that the ARC was thinking of Tay and he wasn't exactly sure how he felt about that.

It was one thing to share Tay with the memory of a dead man. It was another thing entirely, to share her affections with a brother who was still very much alive. At the moment, Cody didn't feel particularly inclined to sharing much of Tay with anyone, but then his eye fell on Fives' "good" hand and something inside of him was humbled.

He couldn't begrudge Fives for his clear adoration of Tay and her goodness. A clone who had lost two whole limbs didn't have much chance of survival in the GAR – Cody knew only too well about the "reconditioning programs" that existed on Kamino specifically to cull the ranks of "defective clones". It was a silent testimony to Tay and her regard for the sanctity of all life, that Fives was even alive to be injured again. The GAR didn't usually believe in prosthetics and rehabilitation.

Kix didn't say anything about Fives' reference to "two Jedi", but Cody caught the medic's profile as he pulled Fives' hand into his lap for a closer look. A memory, in all of its darkness, burrowed into the lines around Kix's mouth and his eyes turned sad. The look lasted for only a brief moment, but it was long enough for Cody to see into the medic's past – Order 66 hadn't been kind to Kix, either.

"Did someone shoot your hand, Fives?" Kix casually steered the conversation toward safer territory – or, at least, territory more safe than the mention of Jedi.

Fives directed his attention toward Sheresh and his expression was positively mutinous.

"Yes."

Kix, who was studying Fives' hand with some amount of concern, missed the look directed over his bent head.

"How long ago was that?"

"Six hours at least. Maybe eight," Sheresh sighed and rubbed her eyes; she purposefully avoided Fives' glowering gaze. "I've honestly lost count."

"This should have been seen to immediately," Kix frowned.

"I'm afraid we were all a little too busy staying alive to worry about a mere flesh wound," Fives bristled, but Kix was singularly unimpressed.

"I can cut your glove off, but it's going to take some skin with it. The good news is, it looks like the bolt glanced off of your armor. The bad news is, it looks like it melted the armor to your glove, which may have then adhered itself to portions of your hand."

"Most of my body has been burned to one degree or another," Fives startled Cody with his blunt revelation. "To include this same hand. I think I'll manage."

Kix chuckled and shook his head.

"You always were a tough one," he muttered quietly under his breath.

"Perhaps you should let him eat something before you start cutting things, _ad'ika_?" Sol's rumbling voice broke into Kix's musings, just as the medic began reaching into another pant pocket for what Cody assumed would be scissors.

Everyone – including Cody – looked up to see Orar and Ala appear within their midsts, weighted down with trays of steaming bowls. The dishes were made out of the same earthenware as the mugs that Ala had brought out earlier; a particularly pungent smell wafted across the small gathering and mingled with the woody scent of the fire. Cody's stomach growled weakly and it was with no small amount of surprise that he realized how absolutely famished he was. The former commander had been so focused on the events unfolding around him, and on the dull throb in his chest, that he hadn't spared much thought for his own hunger.

"That's not a bad idea, Sol_'buir_," Kix looked up from Fives' hand and eyed Orar's tray thoughtfully. "It might be a little easier if I use a local anesthetic to control the pain – and having some food might settle any adverse reactions to the medication."

"So..._tiingilar_ for our guest?" Orar picked up a bowl from off of his tray and offered it to Kix for approval.

"Might as well. How long has it been since you've eaten?" Kix reached up and took the bowl from the Arkanian; he paused a moment, though, before handing it to its intended recipient.

"Twelve hours, at least," Fives eyed the bowl with all of the intensity of a starving zillo beast.

"Yeah," Kix didn't hesitate a second longer as he offered the bowl to Fives. "I'll hold the bowl while you eat," the medic nodded toward his brother's injured hand. "I don't want you using your other hand until I've seen to it."

"I'm telling you...it's not that big a deal," Fives mulishly tried to reach out with the very hand that Kix had denied; the medic scowled and pulled the bowl out of the ARC's insistent reach.

"And I'm telling you...that as your medic I outrank you and don't tell me what is or isn't a 'big deal'."

Cody accepted his own bowl from Ala, but for the moment, he was more interested in the drama unfolding between Kix and Fives than in his own food. The former commander watched with a mixture of alarm and amusement as the two brothers faced each other down.

Fives buckled, however – Cody wasn't sure if it was because of Kix's staunch argument, or because the smell of home cooked food finally overrode his pride. In any event, the ARC withdrew his injured hand and laid it reluctantly on top of his armored thigh. Kix offered Fives his bowl again and the wounded clone picked up his fork with a thunderous scowl. He kept his tongue, though, and Cody was thankful for the self-restraint.

Fives had matured into quite a rebellious handful, since his days as a cadet in Domino Squad. Cody wasn't sure where the seeds of dissent had been sown, but he suspected that the hardening of Fives' personality had been a gradual thing, as each member of his squad died over the course of the Wars.

_The Citadel was probably the last straw,_ Cody mused as he watched the ARC swallow his pride and take his first bite from the bowl Kix wouldn't let him hold. _Echo always did keep him in line..._

The ex-commander had just turned his attention toward the contents of his own bowl, when Fives sputtered and coughed with considerable fuss. Cody looked up just in time to see the ARC give the offered meal a look of considerable uncertainty. He leaned over his bowl and sniffed the steam experimentally; he then grimaced and sneezed twice in rapid succession.

"What_ is_ this?" he wheezed around the sudden tears in his eyes.

"_Tiingilar_," Ala looked almost apologetic as she handed Saa the last bowl from her tray. "It's a rather acquired taste."

"Do you Mandalorians like to _taste_ your food? This is hotter than Kiffu curry!"

"If you don't like it, I call dibs on your bowl," Sheresh didn't even look up from her meal as she enthusiastically shoveled the dubious delicacy into her mouth.

Fives rewarded her verve with a sour look.

"No, seriously, Fives," the former Cuy'val Dar instructor glanced up from her bowl with feigned innocence; the familiarity with which she addressed Fives was not at all lost on the observant Cody. "If it's too spicy for you, I'm sure there's some _gihaal_ around here...somewhere."

"What's_ gihaal_?" Fives asked in the tone of a man who knew he wasn't going to like the answer.

"Dried fishmeal," Sheresh smiled sweetly; even Cody made a face of disgust. "It's very nutritious."

"I had enough fish on Kamino to last me several lifetimes," Fives pressed his lips into a thin and humorless line. "I think I'll burn my nose hairs out instead. No problem."

The ARC took a stalwart stab at his bowl and an equally tenacious bite of the spicy concoction. Satisfied that the drama between Fives and Sheresh had passed for the moment, Cody turned his attention to his own bowl. Like his brother, he took a curious sniff of the _tiingilar_ – and promptly understood what Fives had meant about burning his nose hairs.

The heavy aroma of hot peppers alone threatened to singe Cody's eyebrows. The former commander coughed discreetly, but tried valiantly not to make as much of a scene as Fives. The dish appeared to be a mixed vegetable and meat casserole; it was also more heavily spiced than anything Cody had ever encountered, on any of the many worlds that he had traveled. He dutifully took a bite of the _tiingilar._..

And promptly reached for what was left of his _behot_ tea.

"This'll...uh..." Cody coughed again as his eyes began to water; he glanced over at Saa, who looked for all the world like he was trying not to laugh into his bowl. "This'll put some hair on your chest."

"I have enough fur there, thanks," Rowin quipped dryly; he, too, seemed a bit uncertain about their generously offered meal.

Sheresh started giggling uncontrollably and Cody quirked a quizzical eyebrow as he tried to muster up the courage for another bite of _tiingilar_. The female Mandalorian didn't seem inclined to explain what it was that she found so funny, however; she just snickered to herself as she kept consuming her food at a rate that put even Cody at awe.

_And I thought us clones were short on the table manners..._ he marveled, as he watched her eat.

The room fell silent as everyone made peace with their dinner as they were able. Cody discovered that after the first four or five bites, the casserole spices numbed the mouth to any sensation whatsoever. After that point, it was an easy matter to finish off his bowl and he even found himself hoping for a second helping as he passed his empty dish to Ala, to be placed on her tray.

"You should finish your tea,_ ner vod_," the female Twi'lek touched Cody's wrist gently in encouragement as she took his bowl. "Now that you've eaten, you should go to sleep as soon as possible."

"I need you to grab some of that _behot_ ointment and a few bandages first, Ala," Kix seemed to suddenly remember his intentions, as he looked up abruptly from Fives' nearly empty bowl. "He has some scratches that need to be cleaned up before he passes out."

"I can get the supplies," Sol offered before Ala could get to her feet; he held out his hand toward his adopted daughter, to keep her from moving too much from her seat. "You should finish eating,_ ad'ika_."

"_Vor entye,_ Sol'_buir_," Ala murmured gently as she settled back on her cushion; Cody was oddly touched by the concern that Sol showed for both his guests and for his varied offspring.

He glanced at Saa, thoughtfully. It would seem that the regard for the well-being of his family was a treasured hallmark of a Mandalorian father.

"Do you need anything for Captain Fives' hand?" Sol turned his power chair toward Kix and paused before heading off toward points unknown.

"Uh, yes," Kix eyed Fives' hand yet again and chewed on his bottom lip for a moment. "I have some hypospray anesthetic in my spare medkit in the kitchen. I'll need some of our bacta patches, too, and a roll of bandage."

"And all of this is in the kitchen?" Sol lingered for just a second longer, to make certain.

"Yes," Kix nodded and Fives took his last bite of _tiingilar_.

"I'll take the empty bowls, too," Sol reached forward and offered his hand for the dish that Kix held in his hands.

"Orar, would you like to show our other guests to their rooms, while Ala and I see to these two?" Kix nodded briefly toward Fives and then to Cody.

"We'll wait until they've been tended," Saa interjected before Orar had a chance to move. "We've shared this night together – we can share a few minutes more."

Even Fives ducked his head in respect to the _alor'_s authority. Cody was strongly reminded of the brotherhood that he had left behind him at Bellassa – at the brotherhood that, in all honesty, had been broken at Utapau.

Alpha's deep voice echoed inside of Cody's head; the former commander could hear the legendary ARC's words as clearly as if he were a commander selectee again, struggling through the Advanced Recon Commando training program in pursuit of rank and title.

_"We fight together. We eat together. We sleep together. We heal together. We are brothers – we never walk alone."_

And now, in a coincidence that eerily hinted at Saa's own experiences with three of Alpha's own ARC brothers, the Mandalorian _alor_ redefined Cody's memory.

"We have shared a Mandalorian meal in a Mandalorian home. Within this circle, Kix'_ika,_ we face nothing alone. The first rule of the Mando'ad is this – we are always one."

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><p><strong>AN:** _This chapter took forever to write, it seems...and it's a hefty 14-pages long...but I think it's the perfect chapter for our Thanksgiving holiday (for those of us here in the US, at least). And, I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. Hopefully, you all will feel the same. :) Sol's family is probably what all of us wishes our were this holiday season. LOL_

_Many wonderful and warm thanks to **Codywolf**, **LongLiveTheClones**, **Kiana Tavers-Mereel**, **laloga**, and **Admiral Daala**. You all ROCK for your dedicated reading and reviews. You constantly humble me...and constantly encourage me. This Thanksgiving, I'm thankful for each and every reader who has favorited this, who has read, and/or those who have reviewed me. You guys have made this story what it is today and what it will be, hopefully, tomorrow. May the Force be with you all. :)_

_Love it? Like it? Hate it? Lemme know...!_


	13. Wisdom, Justice, & Love4

**A/N:** _Just wanted to post a quick FYI before you all started reading... As some of you may know, I've rescued rabbits for about four or five years now and I'm known as the resident "Rabbit Guru" at my local animal shelter. In the development of **Rowin** as a character, I've shaped much of his mannerisms and characteristics after the little furry friends that I've shared house-space with for half a decade. You'll see why this bring this up as you read toward the end of this chapter, but house-rabbits do actually bond in real life. I don't know if rabbits do this in the wild, but domesticated rabbits will often create a special bond with at least one person/animal in the house. Most of the time, this bond with one another - sometimes, they grace us humans with that gift. My very first rabbit, **Bane**, bonded to me to the point that he very pointedly told off my husband (in rabbit-speak, of course!) the first time they met (and Bane died holding a grudge against** J**, good golly...). I've also seen "bunny love" - when two rabbits bond instantly, without any fighting or fuss (I've had two pairs like this). This bonding is one of the reasons why it is so hugely traumatic for a rabbit when he/she is abused; once that trust is broken, a rabbit will very rarely "get" it back. Not all rabbits bond, it should be noted, but when they do, it's very hard for them to overcome a loss. I've had one bun die - literally - of a broken heart, because he starved himself after his mate passed away. So, I just wanted to let you know, Dear Reader, that bunny bonding does, in fact, exist. And it is a hard thing to explain; I hope Rowin did it justice. :)_

_Also...this is a long chapter. Settle in for a nice lengthy read. LOL_

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><p><em>"...Of sending men home from the dark and bloody battlefields physically handicapped and psychologically deranged..."<em>

"**Wisdom, Justice, and Love"**

**Linkin Park**

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><p>Cody woke up to winter darkness with his stomach empty and a strange after-taste in his mouth. For several disorienting seconds, he couldn't remember where he was and something like panic began to claw at the back of his throat. But then he heard someone mutter in his sleep and Cody recognized a single word - "Marta." The name, coupled with the familiarity of Saa's sleep-roughened voice, soothed the pounding of Cody's heart.<p>

The ex-trooper lay in the darkness and breathed deeply as he stared above him toward velvety oblivion. Jumbled memories fell into place and Cody reached up to scrub a steadying hand over his face. He was laying on top of a slightly lumpy – but comfortable – mattress that was stuffed with some sort of unidentifiable bedding. The room smelled like earth and male; a scent that was too woodsy to truly overlap with the memories Cody had of the wide variety of barracks that he had woken up in before. He was thankful for the distinction in his mind, since waking up to what he thought was a barracks would probably have put him in a self-defensive panic, before the sequence of the previous night's events finally ordered themselves in his head.

Someone was snoring and after a few moments, Cody decided that it was probably Fives. Saa muttered again in his sleep, but his words were Mando'a and Cody couldn't place them. The clone ran a hand over his face again and tried to remember who all was in the room with him.

After Ala had cleaned and bandaged his wounds, she had lead him through the same doorway that Kix had so suddenly appeared in when coming to announce the birth of Sol's granddaughter. Fives' hand had been seen to by that time as well, so all of the males in the straggling party of refugees had followed Cody and Ala. Cody had passed out shortly after making contact with his pillow, but he remembered Fives, Rowin, and Saa settling into their own beds, while Kix trimmed an old-fashioned oil lamp.

Currently, there was no light in the room; Cody wasn't even sure what the dimensions of the sleeping chamber _were_. The only concern on his mind the night before had been getting into bed as quickly as possible. He wasn't even sure if "the night before" _was_, in fact, the night before. Cody had no readily available way to tell the time; all he had to go on was an internal clock that had been shaped by a lifetime of military service. If he was to hazard his best guess based on his own gut instinct, Cody surmised that it was about five or six standard hours in the morning.

Though, _which_ morning was the question and one that Cody decided was worthy of answering. Forgetting completely about his injuries, the former commander sat up -

And promptly bit his lip in an attempt to keep from waking up his companions with a shout of pain. Though, Cody thought as he fell back on the bed, he wasn't sure he had the breath to scream at the current moment. He had forgotten about the contusion across his chest and his bruised muscles protested sharply at his foolhardy move. Pain radiated swiftly across his entire upper torso – front and back – and Cody tried to catch his breath in the quiet morning darkness.

As he lay on the bed for the second time, the former soldier tried to calm his pain response and focus on his separate injuries. He had learned long ago how to lay still and take stock of his body – while he might have initially forgotten his injuries in the groggy fuddle of his half-awake mind, he had no excuse now not to exercise a certain caution in moving again.

He counted three bacta patches arrayed in something of a circle over the breadth of his chest. They mimicked the circular pattern of his dented chest plate and covered the superficial wounds he had sustained as a result of his armor biting through his flight-suit. A larger, longer bacta patch covered his side, where the two major plates of his armor had pinched together and broken skin. Other than the tenderness of his upper body and those few patches, however, Cody was otherwise unscathed.

_I've had worse,_ he reminded himself as he stared up toward a ceiling he couldn't see. _Much, much worse._

After a few minutes of silent contemplation, Cody decided to try and give getting out of bed a second chance. This time, though, he rolled gingerly onto his uninjured side and eased himself up one small movement at a time. This method took several moments to complete and Cody had to stop himself from groaning in agony from start to finish. He felt a certain sense of accomplishment, though, when he was finally able to face the blackness in front of him in a vertical position.

Getting to his feet took several more moments, as the clone commander purposefully controlled the speed of his ascension. He wavered unsteadily on his feet for a second or two, but finding his equilibrium after that initial uncertainty wasn't as hard as he had feared. As he caught his breath and took stock of his new outlook on life, Cody realized that while he had been put to bed without his boots or socks, he still had his flight-suit on.

The ground underneath him was cool and soft – Cody wiggled his toes experimentally and determined that he was standing on what felt like well-swept dirt. Since neither sitting down again nor feeling about for his boots were a realistic option at the moment, he decided to move his momentum forward and follow his nose.

It was faint, but the ex-trooper could detect the unmistakable scent of caf. Without sparing any further thought to his bare feet, Cody took a few tentative steps forward with his hands outstretched. By assuming that the head of his bead was toward the wall, his fingers quickly came in contact with what felt like a weathered mixture of wood and mud. Cody followed the curve of the wall toward what he hoped was a doorway – while praying that he didn't stumble over anyone's sleeping form while he moved.

A thin sliver of light distinguished itself from the darkness, as Cody grew more alert and began focusing his attention toward identifying some sort of exit. The animal-hide that covered the doorway was thick and broad enough to block practically all external light, except for a narrow band of brilliance along the floor just in front of Cody and slightly to his left.

As Cody's eyes adjusted to the illuminated hallway, he was surprised to see that the _vheh'yaim_ was more extensive than he could have originally imagined. A narrow corridor split off in two directions from just in front of where he stood. The hallway was basically nothing more than a covered pathway which appeared to connect the circular room behind him with another room to the left and to right of him. Cody wondered at the design; the only thing that he could conclude from looking to either side of him, was that the Kelborn homestead was actually a compound of several _vheh'yaim_ connected by a series covered hallways.

He hesitated for a moment, uncertain and slightly disoriented. Try as he might, Cody couldn't readily recall which way he had been lead out of the central gathering room – so he had very little ability to determine if he was supposed to go left or right. Since his sense of direction couldn't be trusted, the former commander decided to rely on another sense that had never steered him wrong. He took as deep of a breath as he could and decided, after a moment's deliberation, that caf was definitely available toward the left.

Without further ado, Cody shuffled toward the appropriate direction. He spared a moment to look up, at the circular window that had been cut strategically in the arching ceiling above him. A patch of rose-tinged navy blue greeted his gaze and pushed his internal clock forward by about an hour. The sun was rising, which meant it was more like seven standard hours in the morning; in any event, it was time for breakfast and Cody devoted himself whole-heartedly to the quest for caf.

Taking the left doorway did indeed lead Cody to the gathering room that he remembered from the last time he was vertical. No one was gathered around the gently smoldering fire, however, and the room looked particularly deserted, littered as it was by empty cushions. Cody paused a moment and remembered that the doorway to the kitchen was right next to the doorway in which he currently stood. Without further hesitation, he turned to his right and pushed aside the heavy curtain.

The hallway to the kitchen was longer than the one that he had traveled between bedroom and gathering room. But, the scent of caf got stronger as he shuffled along and the smell of it encouraged Cody's continued perseverance. He hoped, with considerable sincerity, that no one would turn him away and force him back to bed when he arrived at his intended destination. Cody loved sleep as much as the next clone, but curiosity had settled in and he didn't think he could lie still until he had a better idea of where he was and who he was with.

A part of him dreaded the possibility of running into Kix in the kitchen, but once Cody finally slipped through the doorway into the largest room he had seen yet, he found that he was alone except for the red-headed Sheresh. The female Mandalorian was sitting at a large wooden table in the center of the well-kept kitchen, cradling a cup of steaming caf in her hands. She looked up as Cody ambled over to the table and her pleasant face lit up in a welcoming smile. Cody, on the other hand, was immediately captivated by one particular attribute that he had failed to notice before – Sheresh's face was as ruddy in the unfiltered kitchen light, as it had been in front of the gathering room fire.

"You're a Zeltron!" somehow those words got out before "good morning"; Cody blushed and shut his mouth, but Sheresh's smile only grew wider in the face of his embarrassment.

"Well, you're _half _right," Sheresh chuckled into her mug as she took a sip of caf. "My father was human."

Cody stared at her with something like awe as he slowly approached the female Mandalorian and gingerly lowered himself on to one of the stools arranged around the rough hewn table. Now that he wasn't running for his life in the bombed-out streets of an unfamiliar city, or trying to take stock of total strangers, he had time to study Sheresh's natural beauty.

She was radiant in her own way, but not half as ethereal as Tay. Sheresh's winsomeness was fiery – all shades of copper, coral, and ruby. Her hair was long and braided down the back; it shimmered in the kitchen light, a brilliant kaleidescope of natural cherry and garnet. Her skin was just a few shades too pink to be considered truly human; instead of the bold hues of a true-blooded Zeltron, her skin merely looked as if it was permanently flushed. Her lips were full and stained the color of Anoat fire-wine; her eyes were clear shards of amber, bright with both good humor and intelligence.

Outside of her armor, Sheresh was down-right stunning. She lit up the room in her own resplendent way. In contrast to Tay's particular gentleness and tender delicacy, Sheresh was agile strength and boundless audacity. She was _bold_, the epitome of Mandalorian beauty.

"I can't say I've run across a lot of half-Zeltrons...and full-blooded Zeltrons even less, but..." Cody fumbled for words and waved an all-encompassing hand toward Sheresh's brilliance. "Wow," he flushed and stammered, suddenly made self-consciousness by his nearly instinctual ogling.

"I get that a lot," Cody was surprised to see Sheresh blush a bit herself; her cheeks turned a slightly darker shade of pink that was quite fetching. "One of the reasons I actually like being Mandalorian," her honey-colored eyes met Cody's over the rim of her mug. "Beauty is not valued half as much as spirit."

"Oh," Cody felt awkward and a little inappropriate as he ducked his head in an attempt to look anywhere but at Sheresh.

He hadn't meant to stare, but she was a fetching sight and it was hard not to appreciate her good looks for what they were. A large part of him felt incredibly guilty as well – he hadn't openly admired another female since Tay and he wasn't certain if exclusivity in his relationship prohibited his expression of appreciation for the physical attractiveness of others.

"Don't beat yourself up about it, Cody. You are but male," Sheresh reached over and surprised the former commander by gently touching his hand with hers; he glanced up and caught her smile. "If it makes you feel any better, I do appreciate your reaction...though I would prefer the expression of such from another male entirely."

It made Cody feel slightly better to realize that his ogling wouldn't go to Sheresh's head, nor would it offend her. He managed a weak smile back at her and for a moment, they were both silent with their own thoughts. Cody's curiosity had been piqued, however, and he ventured a question after several uncertain seconds.

"You have a sweetheart of your own, then?"

"Yes...well...maybe," Sheresh's blush deepened and she looked away from Cody in a manner that was clearly flustered. "I mean...well..." she frowned at her caf and sighed heavily; the former commander felt awkward once again, for having asked her such an agitating question.

He felt even more oafish, when the female Mandalorian stood up without any warning whatsoever. She moved briskly, even with her pronounced limp, and made her way resolutely toward the counter behind them. Ashamed for having embarrassed her, Cody said nothing, as she started to fuss with a large mug and an even larger carafe.

"I feel silly for asking this, since I've never met a clone who didn't like caf, but –" Sheresh paused and looked over her shoulder; she smiled bravely, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Would you like some?"

"Yes, please," Cody responded instantly in the hopes of setting his uncouth question behind them.

Sheresh was silent for several minutes more as she poured strong, black caf into the mug in her hands. She turned around and limped back toward her stool; she said nothing as she handed him the piping hot mug and Cody felt like smacking his forehead into the wooden surface beneath his forearms.

The Mandalorian bounty hunter surprised him, however, when he glanced miserably at her face and caught her eye. The half-Zeltron female flashed him a brilliant smile and in that instant, she seemed to convey to Cody that all had been forgiven. In fact, she apologized to _him_, as she reached out and patted his arm.

"Affairs of the heart are tricky business. I'm sorry if I got a little flustered; it's not your fault."

"I'm sorry for prying," Cody admitted quietly, but Sheresh merely waved her hand dismissively as she settled herself more certainly on her stool.

"Don't be. I'm someone new and you're simply trying to learn who I am. Awkward questions are part of the process; don't be ashamed," she smiled at him a second time and Cody felt that it was truly genuine.

Nothing was said for about five or ten standard minutes, as they both dedicated their attention to their respective cups of caf. Truth be told, Cody was still trying desperately to wake up; in many ways, his head still felt thick from sleep and the world around him seemed slightly surreal. A part of him tried to recall the details of what had happened before he had finally managed to get some sleep and he was mildly disturbed to realize that most of his memories were a jumbled mess.

_I must have been running on sheer adrenaline and training alone,_ he mused into the depths of his caf mug as he sipped on the sweetened brew_. I think the last time I was that tired, was after...well...after Utapau._

His memories of having ordered Obi-wan's unjust – and thankfully unsuccessful – death were crystal clear. But he had always had trouble trying to recall the battle before and after that pivotal point; most of the time, details escaped him in the aftermath of his adrenaline rushes. The mental blanks only got worse as he got older – Cody wasn't sure if it was the weight of all the stress bearing down on his mind, or if it was his rapid aging, or if it was a combination of both.

_Could be a side-affect of all those stims I took, too_, he mulled over the many possible reasons that made it harder for him to retain difficult memories. _I might want to ask Tay about that at some time. I would like to know why it seems I can't recall stressful details after the fact._

Getting lost in his own thoughts was starting to become entirely too dull, though, so Cody focused his wandering attention span on Sheresh after a few moments of appropriately contemplative silence. She too seemed lost in her thoughts, as she stirred a spoon idly in what was left of her caf, so it didn't seem as if she was too dreadfully upset by Cody's lapse of focus. The former commander wondered if he should even break into her private moment, but he had her to himself for a little while at least. He was curious about her and about how she had become what she was; since it was highly unlikely that he'd get much out of her once Fives came around, Cody decided to take charge of the opportunity presented to him.

"So..." he paused just long enough to get her attention and he nervously fiddled with the handle of his cup as her light-brown eyes met his over the width of the table. "You're Saa's...granddaughter?"

"Something like that...I think," Sheresh chuckled and Cody decided that she was at her most charming when she was smiling. "If Mrov were alive, he would be my _buir_...so I suppose that _does _makes me Saa's granddaughter," she pursed her lips as she considered what was apparently a new revelation. "I hadn't thought of myself as that before, I will admit."

"How'd you become Mandalorian?" Cody took a sip of his caf; in his own way, he was enjoying the chance to sit quietly with someone else, without distractions, tensions, or impending dangers limiting the conversation.

"Well...that can be a long story in and of itself, but the short version goes something like this," Sheresh paused and rubbed her chin thoughtfully; something flickered through her eyes, but Cody was unable to identify the emotion. "My stepmother sold me as an indentured servant when I was about 20 years old, in order to pay off what she claimed were my late father's debts," the emotion Cody hadn't been able to identify swiftly settled into anger; her eyes flashed at the memory and the former commander realized that Sheresh's temper ran as hot as her blood. "I was sent off-world and Ru-_buir _found me on the auction block at a Tatooine slave market."

"Off-world?" Cody interrupted slightly, but only because he wanted to make sure that he got as many details as he could about Sheresh's unknown life.

The bounty hunter seemed to realize his intentions, but she was obliging in her openness. Her mouth quirked up in a smile and she glanced approvingly at Cody, as if to applaud him for his ability to pick up important cues.

"I'm Alderaanian by birth," her admission stunned Cody – of all the worlds in the galaxy, he would have expected Alderaan as the absolute_ last _on the list of home worlds most likely to produce a Mandalorian.

Sheresh seemed to understand his surprise and she chuckled brightly. Cody reflected that he was probably not the only sentient who had expressed some amount of surprise at her pre-Mandalorian identity. The Alderaanians were well-known the galaxy over as dedicated pacifists; Alderaan also boasted some of the galaxies most refined and respected personalities. Senator Bail Organa came to mind – Cody would often meet up with Fox on the occasions that he was sent back to Coruscant for a few days of precious leave. Fox – who was quite possibly the most gregarious of all the commanders that Cody had graduated ARC training with – had enjoyed talking politics over dinner. And, with talk of politics, came talk of politicians – Organa was one of the very few that Fox had never condemned.

"No one expects a Mandalorian from Alderaan," she read his reaction accurately and the bounty hunter shrugged nonchalantly, as if it was no big deal. "But, here I am. The Force put me in Ru'_buir_'s path, of that I'm sure, and there was something about me that caught her eye. She'll tell you it was my _gett'se_ – or, my spirit – that made her rescue me from my fate. I'm not always so sure. In some ways, I think she was looking for a daughter to call her own; Ru'_buir_ won't admit it, but when I met her, she was very lonely. She took Mrov's death quite hard, from what I understand."

"Saa did, too," Cody nodded solemnly; he sighed and in almost perfect harmony, the two recited the Mandalorian prayer of remembrance.

The moment caught the two off-guard. Sheresh met Cody's eyes across the table and at first, neither one of them smiled. But then Sheresh's sensuous lips curved upward and a look of approval lit up her eyes.

"I see Saa_'ba'buir_ chooses well," her words were cryptic and Cody couldn't help a snort of frustration; that only made Sheresh's smile bigger. "And don't pretend that you don't know what I'm talking about. Saa's been hurt – he's lost a lot of sons," the smile wavered and a serious sort of intensity settled across Sheresh's expressive face. "So, I don't imagine he's in any rush to blurt out the adoption vow. But...anyone who's been Mando'ad for any length of time can see that he has fairly serious intentions toward you," her smile returned and Cody felt warmth bolster the empty place in his heart where normally only fear dared to dwell. "_Especially_ if he's allowed you to sleep in his daughter-in-law's bed."

Cody had almost forgotten about Saa's blunt blunt revelation concerning the current status of the clone's relationship with Tay; he ducked his head and tried not to smile. It wasn't exactly something to grin about, but it felt okay to share his joy with Sheresh. She had an easy-going and rather non-judgmental way about her; plus, Cody figured that since she had brought the topic up, he had nothing to fear in showing his own familiarity with a female she had never met.

And yet, a female who Sheresh apparently knew about, all the same. It was starting to amaze Cody at how interwoven the lives of Mandalorian clan members actually were. He wondered, briefly, if the apparent closeness of Clan Par'jain was indicative of all clans, or if it was unique to them because of their small size and more matriarchal hierarchy.

"I'd try to argue and say that Saa didn't go out of his way to encourage my relationship with Tay, but," Cody laughed and shrugged – there was no point in withholding the truth from one who seemed to know the clan dynamic better than he did himself. "That'd be a lie. Though, now I have to wonder," the former commander raised a quizzical eyebrow and titled his head to the side. "How do you know so much about Saa?"

"I worked with him a few times during the Wars; actually smuggled him behind enemy lines once or twice. Even smuggled him out from inside Sep space once," her eyes flashed and Cody recognized the look of one who had enjoyed such dangerous adventures. "I had Ru'_buir _with me the first time I met him, too. She recognized his scent immediately – though she admitted later that his Miraluka disguise fooled her completely."

Cody couldn't help it – he threw his head back and laughed. It had taken him surprise, too, the first time that he had seen Saa step into the_ Ijaa_'s cockpit with his eyes perfectly hidden by a wide band of darkly colored glass. In fact, Saa's knack for disguises was highly impressive and, at times, highly_ disturbing_. While the scrawny Mandalorian could be quite distinctive with his red hair and _beskar'gam_, he possessed a face that was particularly unassuming. Unlike Cody, who despite having a thousand different replicas of his face scattered across the galaxy could still stand out in a crowd, Saa had the sort of face that blended into his surroundings with little to no effort. While the wily Mando could never try to pass himself off as a Togorian – for example – Cody didn't think that there were many human or near-human species Saa couldn't mimic with enough cosmetic detail and determination.

"I see you've had experience with Saa'_ba'buir_'s disguises, too?" Sheresh shared Cody's good humor and she set her empty caf mug down on the table with an ear-to-ear grin. "He's incredibly talented. I've seen him pull off personas that I would have never thought were possible. You should ask him about his male Twi'lek disguise sometime."

Cody sputtered in disbelief and Sheresh simply laughed. For several minutes, he tried to get her to explain the story behind her tantalizing hint, but she refused to say anything. Eventually, the two just shared a good laugh and Cody let it go – though, not without first determining to get the full story from Saa the second he had the chance.

"So, is that the only experience you've had with Saa before now? Just shuttling him back and forth between Republic and Separatist space?" Cody finally steered the conversation back on track after a few minutes of good humored banter.

"Hmm...for the most part, yes," Sheresh put her chin in her hand and leaned her elbow on the table; she looked particularly winsome that way, with her body leaning attentively toward Cody, and her face both pleasant and open. "We had some good conversations on those occasions, though. Neither one of us are particularly shy, as I'm sure you've noticed," her eyes crinkled in a smile. "And Ru'_buir_ has always spoken highly of him. She's kept in contact with him over the years – even after Mrov died. In fact, I think it's safe to say that for having been isolated from the clan for seven years, Ru'_buir _has always done an excellent job of keeping me informed of who's who and what's what. At least, so far as Clan Par'jain is concerned."

Cody couldn't help but pick up on the mention of a seven-year isolation. It was his turn to set his empty caf mug on the table and to lean in toward his companion. He dropped his voice an octave or two, though he didn't really know why he felt the need to whisper about Kamino. Perhaps it was the sense that if he spoke too loudly of the past, it would come back to haunt him.

"Is it true, then, that you were part of the _Cuy'val Dar_?" he inquired earnestly; Sheresh's face sobered instantly, but she didn't discourage his question.

"Yes," the female Mandalorian answered only simply at first, but after a moment she tapped her fingers on the table and continued carefully. "So was Ru'_buir_. In fact, the _Cuy'val Dar_ were my first introduction to the Mandalorian culture – when I arrived on Kamino, my armor was as shiny as yours would have been at your first battle."

"I thought Jango Fett only hired seasoned veterans," Cody was surprised by Sheresh's admission and she seemed to almost anticipate his astonishment; her smile was soft and almost a little bit sad.

"Ru'_buir_ had just adopted me as her own and I had only been with her about a year at that point. When Fett approached her for the job on Kamino, she refused to accept unless I came with her. Fett wasn't too happy about it, but he found some use for me after all and hired me on."

"What did you do? As one of the_ Cuy'val Dar_, that is?" Cody couldn't help himself – he was utterly fascinated by Sheresh and her past.

"I was an armorer. Don't ask me how or why, but I discovered in my year with Ru'_buir_ – before she adopted me – that I had quite a knack for blacksmithing. I did all of the repairs on the _Cuy'val Dar_'s _beskar'gam_ and weapons; I also taught classes to the boys, the clones, on basic blacksmithing and armoring, so they could fix their own minor issues without turning to outside sources. I wasn't the most glamorous of the _Cuy'val Dar_ – I wasn't an interrogator or a doctor, for example – but I like to think I had an honorable job and one that I did well," Sheresh shrugged and fell silent; Cody could tell that she felt a little awkward, but he wasn't exactly sure how to put her back at ease.

Thankfully, Rowin chose that moment to step into the kitchen and join the conversation.

The bi-ped space rabbit paused for a moment after he passed through the heavy leather curtain that separated the kitchen from the hallway. He blinked and Cody recognized the signs of a sentient who was trying to adjust to the light and who was also trying to still wake up. Rowin wiggled his whiskers as he rubbed a paw sleepily over his eyes; Cody wasn't at all certain what the whisker twitches meant, but he thought that maybe it was Rowin's wordless way of saying "good morning."

"Fancy meeting you in such a place," Sheresh teased the rabbit gently as he finally shuffled toward the table.

"It's a kitchen. I can _always_ find a kitchen," Rowin mumbled groggily as he slid onto a stool next to Cody.

The Lepi glanced over at the clone and wiggled his whiskers again. Cody quirked an eyebrow and the two males considered each other silently for a moment. Rowin then broke the quiet with a smile and a lazy glance in Sheresh's direction.

"Plus, it looks like you could use some lively company."

"Cody's pretty lively," Sheresh shrugged and a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "Just a minute ago he was dancing a jig. Should have seen it."

Cody snorted and shook his head. The banter between Rowin and Sheresh was easy and natural, if slightly tongue-in-cheek.

"You two are a laugh," the former commander rolled his eyes; he sat still on his stool for a moment, as he considered the mechanics necessary for moving from where he was to the caf pot.

Sheresh, who seemed to have a strange sixth sense about her, immediately stood up and reached across the table to take Cody's caf mug from him. He didn't fight her, but the ex-trooper raised a questioning eyebrow at her – it was if she had read his mind and Cody hadn't seen instincts like that in anyone other than Jedi.

"Zeltron are naturally empathic," Sheresh explained as she pulled Cody's mug toward her. "Sorry if I seem like something of a mind-reader. I'm not at the level of a Force user, by any stretch of the imagination. And I don't have the range of empathy possessed by a full-blooded Zeltron. But, I can read people fairly well and I also happen to have a pretty good understanding of clones," she flashed Cody her usual friendly smile and some of the sudden tension in his shoulders eased as he settled back on his stool. "I've never known one that could function on only one cup a day."

"Shoot," Rowin huffed and nudged Cody playfully with his elbow. "I've never known one that could function on less than_ four_. Cups o' caf, that is."

"Sounds about right," Cody had been socialized enough to know that Sheresh and Rowin were just teasing each other and him; he took no offense to what either of them had said, though now he was curious by just how much Rowin knew of clones.

The former commander asked the Lepi as much; the rabbit twitched his lopped-ears in some sort of wordless response that Cody couldn't translate. Thankfully, the ear-twitching came accompanied with words that the clone could understand.

"I'll admit, I've never dealt with clones as much as Sheresh here," Rowin nodded toward his fellow bounty hunter as she hobbled over to the counter with Cody's mug. "But, I was a smuggler, too, durin' the Wars. A 'bounty runner' they called me. I also hunted down high-profile criminals for the Republic. Mostly Separatists an' types like Cad Bane."

"That doesn't sound like you had _any_ interactions with clones," Cody gladly accepted his mug from Sheresh, as she climbed back onto her stool and handed him his caf.

"I ran into clones more often when I was helpin' Kil with her line of work," Rowin rubbed his chin and eyed Cody's caf thoughtfully, as if he were trying to decide if he wanted a mug of it himself.

"So let me get this straight," Cody sighed and took a sip of his caf, as if to prepare himself for Rowin's response. "You've worked with both Kil _and_ Sheresh?"

"Kil 'fore Sheresh," Rowin clarified with a brief nod of his head; the rabbit stared off into space for a moment, as if remembering the past. "Kil was...in an interestin' situation with the Jedi Council when I met her. Do ya' remember when the Corellians voted to enforce Contemplanys Hermi?"

"Ah..." Cody did actually try to recall if he had heard anything about Corellian politics during the War; nothing surfaced, however, so he simply shook his head.

This was a question for Fox – not for him. Cody stopped himself from pointing it out – since he thought it might be an unintentional slight to the memory of his brothers who had been forced to serve in the Coruscant Guard – but he had been a fighting man himself. Knowing about what went on in the rest of the galaxy had been a luxury, but it had never been his job. He had had enough trouble trying to keep track of his own men, his Jedi, and the troop movements in whatever sector they had been assigned; fancy-sounding political actions taken by Corellians hadn't ever been something he'd thought of following.

To his credit, Rowin seemed to realize his own faux pas; the rabbit grinned cheekily and shrugged, but his words were suitably apologetic.

"I s'pose that was a dumb question, really. Most folks outside o' the Senate or outside o' Corellia wouldn't have heard 'bout it. Kriff...I don't even think there were _Jedi_ who realized that half o' their numbers chose to remain neutral durin' the Wars."

"Say again?" Cody was promptly surprised – and instantly intrigued.

While following galactic politics hadn't been part of his job description as a troop commander, Cody did have an interest in what happened outside of his own control. He had never had time to really follow that interest during his days of command, but now that he was no longer a soldier, he found himself increasingly fascinated by the intrigues that had woven together the many aspects of the Wars in which he had fought.

Some of the knowledge he gleaned infuriated him – after all, sentients who knew nothing of his men and cared to never know anything about the men created to fight their wars, had dictated the movements of his troops time over and time again. Cody remembered countless occasions when he had been frustrated by the seemingly pointless machinations of the Supreme Chancellor; in cases like Umbara, he had come suspect that 'pointless machinations' was the right term to apply to the tactics he and his men had been expected to carry out.

At other times, the information that he uncovered helped him make sense of the slaughter that he had witnessed. Occasionally, he heard Saa talk about things that validated the many deaths that Cody's men had suffered – and that even validated the many deaths that Cody had been compelled to deliver himself.

Sometimes, Cody learned things that were simply interesting. For example, right now, it was too soon to know what category Rowin's information would fall into – validating or infuriating – but it had certainly piqued the former commander's interest.

"At the start o' the Wars the Corellians decided to throw an obscure sanction out in response to the Galactic Senate's collective inclination toward a conflict. 'Contemplanys Hermi' means 'contemplative silence' - it's an ancient concept, from what I understand an' pretty obscure. But, the Corellians claimed it in an attempt to remain neutral in the Wars, while still keepin' a voice within the Senate. It isolated Corellia from most of the galaxy during the War an' it fractured a section o' the Jedi Order," Rowin clearly possessed a considerable understanding of the Corellian politics of the time and an impressive grasp of its impact on the War.

"I don't know much about the Jedi, but I've learned a little bit about the Corellian Jedi from my talks with Rowin," Sheresh interjected; Cody got the feeling that she didn't exactly care about being the center of attention, but that she did enjoy contributing to conversations when she could. "Kilia and her twin brother Kian were both Knighted before the War, right?" she turned toward the Lepi for confirmation; the rabbit hesitated a moment and then shook his head.

"No. Kil was Knighted 'fore Kian; he wasn't Knighted 'til a few months_ after_ Geonosis._ She_ was Knighted within days_ of_ it, though...now that I think about it, I'm almost positive that I'm right," Rowin waved a finger in the air as he scrunched his nose up in deep thought. "She was Knighted at the Temple, but I remember her tellin' me that she created quite a stir by leavin' the main Order to return to Corellia immediately afterwards. If I remember correctly, her master wasn't Corellian an' she hadn't been allowed to make her own choices 'bout Contemplanys Hermi because of his authority over her. But, once she was free to stand on her own two feet, she left the Temple to join a large group of Corellian Jedi who had decided to return to their home sector."

"I still don't think I understand what Contemplanys Hermi meant to the Corellian Jedi," Cody frowned and nursed his caf slowly as he listened.

"Corellians the galaxy over have had a milennia long reputation for rebelliousness, free-thinking, an' independence. The Corellian Jedi are no different; unlike many of the main Order, Corellian Jedi have their own unique style of dress – usually involvin' various shades o' green – an' many o' them insist on keepin' familial ties. I've even hard o' some of 'em raisin' families right under the Jedi Council's nose," Rowin explained eagerly; it was obvious that he enjoyed sharing information with others. "When the Corellian government decided to remain neutral durin' the Wars, many Corellian Jedi returned to their home world, out of a greater loyalty to their people than to the Jedi Order."

"That's really what the impact of Contemplanys Hermi boiled down to," Sheresh added for further clarification. "It removed Corellians from any obligation to contribute resources to the War. But, passing the movement and enforcing it in their sector prompted many Jedi to make a choice – the Order, or their families. When you ask a Corellian to make that sort of choice, they're rather like Mandalorians in the respect that they will almost always choose their families over anything else."

"They're quite loyal that way – if contrary, if ya' happen to be on the side they decide not to support," Rowin shrugged. "At least, that's the way I've always understood things to be, from Kilia's accounts."

"Did all of the Corellian Jedi leave the Order, then?" Cody marveled; no wonder the Jedi had complained about being short of numbers, if half of their human members had chosen to defy the choices of the Council.

"Most. I don't know how many Corellian Jedi were in the ranks at the start o' the War, but I do know that Corellia has contributed greatly to the Jedi numbers over the ages. 'Bout two dozen stayed loyal to the Order, but all o' the other Corellian Jedi left to support their home world's neutrality. An', to be honest...I'm not so sure that they 'left', so much as they decided that they weren't goin' to go 'long with the madness," Rowin scratched behind one of his ears and slipped off of his stool. "As far as I know, none of them turned in their lightsabers – I know Kil didn't. An' she told me once that Jedi who left the Order officially were stripped o' their robes and their lightsabers. I guess maybe the Council made a special exception for the Corellian Jedi?" Rowin shrugged and raised a whiskery eyebrow at both Cody and Sheresh.

"Pfft, who know about _Jetiise_," Sheresh rolled her eyes and laughed; despite his own relationship with a Jedi, Cody couldn't fault her for her reaction.

Tay confounded him at every turn, it seemed. And he had stopped trying to figure out Jedi during the Wars. It didn't matter how much he interacted with the likes of Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, or Obi-Wan Kenobi...Jedi, as a collective, were a force of their own. Learning about factions like the Altisian Jedi, or the Corellian Jedi, just added another layer of confusion into the mix. Cody allowed himself a small chuckle and shook his head.

Who knew about Jedi, indeed? He sometimes wondered if the Jedi themselves really understood what they were all about.

"So, if Kil decided to remain neutral during the War, how did she have any interaction with clones?" the former commander steered the conversation back on track after an appropriate moment or two.

"Did you know that the Jedi have several specialties?" Rowin asked his own question by way of answering, as he made his way to the counter behind Sheresh.

"Uh...sort of," Cody thought of Tay and took a thoughtful sip of his caf. "Like Healers and such, right?"

"Healers would be a specialty, for sure – an' one that you would have seen a lot of in the Wars," Rowin nodded as he scrounged about a moment for a clean mug. "But, there's others, too. Too many for me to really talk 'bout with any authority. Kil told me 'bout all o' 'em once, but I only really understood 'bout half o' it. An' o' that half, the only specialty I've had any experience with is the Jedi Investigator."

"Investigator?" Cody quirked an eyebrow over the rim of his mug.

"Yup. A sub-sect of the Jedi Sentinel – an' for the love of all that's holy, don't ask me to explain what that is. Find yourself a Jedi later and ask," Rowin waved a paw dismissively as he poured himself some caf with the other. "Anyway...Kil busied herself by huntin' down criminals during the Wars. That's what Investigators do, 'parently – they work with whatever local law enforcement is about, go undercover for long periods of time, travel almost all the time, an' bring a little law to whatever part of the galaxy they happen to be in at the time. Kil traveled a _lot_ durin' the Wars; she never took jobs on behalf o' the Republic, so she justified her actions as truly neutral - I'd agree with her, for the most part. Crime skyrocketed durin' the Wars an' Kil did her part to make the galaxy a little safer for the likes o' ya'," Rowin nodded briefly toward Cody. "That's where she ran into clones - when she was undercover, huntin' down bad guys outside o' Corellia.

"Though, don't get me wrong. She spent a lot o' time on Corellia, too. Most o' her leads started in Corellia, matter of fact. Because of Corellia's neutrality, the planet's underground became a haven for the dredges of galactic society. Pirates, crime lords, bounty hunters, thieves, prostitutes...you name it, Corellia had it. 'Specially in Coronet City, the capitol. Didn't help that the Corellian Crime Syndicate cashed in on the opportunity and started makin' a killin' – literally_ an'_ figuratively."

"The Corellian Crime Syndicate?" Cody shook his head; the name was unfamiliar to him.

"One o' the largest crime syndicates in the Core Worlds," Rowin shuffled back to the table with his piping hot prize. "An', interestin' little fact about it – Kil's uncle was once the boss of it all. Created quite a stir, 'parently, when two Tharen children were whisked 'way by the Jedi without warnin'; if ya' snoop 'round the Corellian underworld long enough, ya'll learn that the surname 'Tharen' is one to respect an' fear. Though, I'll admit," the Lepi set his caf down and settled his lanky frame back onto his stool. "Kil gave the Tharen name new reasons to be feared an' respected."

"Impressive," Cody grunted as he knocked back the last of his second mug; he didn't really know what else to say, but he was beginning to find Kil's lack of reaction to Korbin all the more disturbing in light of Rowin's glowing portrait of her.

"Anyway, I ran into Kil while tryin' to collect a bounty on Cad Bane for the first time. Followed his trail straight to Coronet City an' then lost him – poof!" the rabbit puffed his cheeks out in a dramatic expression that made Cody chuckle despite himself. "Never did catch that thrice-damned nerf herder," Rowin sighed and eyed his caf as if suddenly wishing that it was something a little bit stronger. "But, had a lot of damn fun tryin'. Wasn't too long after runnin' 'round the Corellian underworld catchin' bad guys with Kil, that I Bonded to her."

"What does that mean, 'Bonded'?" Cody shook his head and pushed back his mug; the conversation was interesting enough that he didn't need any more caf to kick-start his mental functioning.

"It's a Lepi thing...kinda' hard to explain, really," a wistful sort of look crossed the space-rabbit's face and he paused for a moment before seeming to change the course of the conversation entirely. "Ever met a Lepi?"

"No, can't say I ever did," the former commander shook his head warily and wondered where Rowin was going verbally.

"Well...I'm a freak of Lepi nature," Rowin reached up and tugged one of his ears with a genuine scowl. "Most Lepis born like me are left to die at birth, but my mama – Force rest her soul – was a gentle-hearted doe. 'Pears she had a great-uncle that she remembered, who was a lop-eared bun, too. He was the first Lepi to go into space and then come back to tell his tales on Coachelle Prime," the rabbit paused and puffed out his chest proudly; there was still a bit of a frown set about the edges of his whiskery mouth, but his eyes had lit up. "She named me after him an' thought that maybe I was destined for great things like Great-Uncle Rowin, too.

"Well, I found my way to space all right, 'bout the age of ten or so –"

"_Ten_?" Cody sputtered; he hadn't heard of any sentient - other than an age-accelerated clone - going off on his own before the age of at least 13.

"Lepis mature by ten standard years," Rowin wiggled his nose at Cody. "I was supposed to take a mate at that age, too, but..." he paused and tugged on his ear again. "I had these. And I'm bi-colored. Never mind that there's gray an' white Lepis...havin' two colors together is rare. I'm almost the spittin' image of my great-uncle, though – he was a gray-and-white piebald bun, too. An' lop-eared. Ya'll hardly ever find a Lepi that's got lopped ears. It's a genetic defect an' no self-respectin' Lepi female would want to chance passin' that down, y'know?"

Cody didn't, in fact, know, but he thought that maybe he understood. He could certainly appreciate the sense of being "defective"; he thought briefly of little Twitch, who had been "reconditioned" for his nightmares and the former commander nodded solemnly.

"The Kaminoans aren't exactly forgiving of genetic anomalies themselves," the clone admitted softly and for a moment, he felt an unexpected kinship with the Lepi. "I've heard of them culling whole batches of clones for nothing more significant than having blue eyes."

"Seems like every species has its own inherent prejudices," Sheresh played absently with the handle of her empty mug; she seemed affected by the turn of the conversation as well.

Cody thought of her limp, then, and he had the sudden sense that she, too, understood what it was like to be "undesirable". The three enjoyed a companionable silence for a few moments, before Rowin cleared his throat and meandered back to the subject of Lepi Bonding.

"When Lepis are ready to take a mate, we Bond to them. Dunno really how to explain it, 'cept that it's a deep sort o' thing – not somethin' physical, mind you. But somethin'...spiritual, I guess. We Bond based on intrinsic compatibility with another Lepi who possesses some quality – or qualities – that resonates with us. Sometimes, that means we Bond to our polar opposite; sometimes that means we Bond to what others in the galaxy might call our 'soul mate'. Sometimes...for those of us who wander off of Coachelle Prime into the wider universe, Bonding means we find a tie that binds us to a sentient that isn't even remotely Lepi."

"Like a Corellian human?" Cody smiled briefly; Rowin returned the gesture with an almost goofy grin.

"Like a Corellian human," the rabbit nodded and then shrugged with a hearty laugh.

"So...Kil's your...mate?" the clone still struggled to understand what Rowin was trying to explain.

The space-rabbit didn't seem to take any offense to Cody's questions. If anything, he seemed to be used to the confusion – no doubt, he had had to explain his connection with Kilia on numerous occasions.

"Not in the physical or legal sense of the word, no," Rowin shook his head and his ears flapped gently against his shoulders. "It's kind o' like the bond I've seen in some of ya' clones 'fore – it's not sexual in the slightest, but it's intimate. Like..." the Lepi paused and searched for the right words. "It's in the soul – it's a deep friendship that can't be broken. Our Bond is particularly strong, too, 'cause Kil's a Jedi and I'm Force Sensitive. We're not quite able to communicate telepathically with one another...but it's pretty kriffin' close."

"A Force Sensitive Lepi?" Cody just ogled; that was something one didn't hear about every day.

"It happens to rabbits too, y'know," Rowin sniffed, but his eyes twinkled good-naturedly; he clearly enjoyed springing his ability on the unsuspecting. "In fact, there's been a small handful o' Lepi Padawans over the ages. I'll admit," he sighed ruefully into his caf. "That we're a notoriously undisciplined species. We've never had a Lepi Jedi yet. Though," the rabbit's ears lifted just slightly and Cody was impressed to discover that Rowin did have some muscle control over his unusual ears. "I've had dreams o' bein' the first, one day."

"Kind of hard, with all the Jedi gone now," Sheresh was the voice of reality, though her soft tone was sensitive to the Lepi's bigger dreams.

Rowin's ears still drooped and Cody felt sorry for the gregarious creature.

"Not _all_ the Jedi are gone," the clone felt compelled to defend Rowin's hopes – his thoughts flickered briefly to Tay and Obi-Wan.

"Yeah...but the Jedi who had been most like to defy the Council an' take me on as her Padawan can't...well..." Rowin paused and chewed the bottom of his lip for a moment before quietly adding. "Kil hasn't been able to feel the Force since she watched her brother die on Medstar Five."

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><p><strong>AN:** _And the character development continues! That's pretty much what this whole arc is about, folks - characters and their relationships with one another. :) Expect this to be a long arc, too - even I'm not sure how long it's going to take for everyone to tell at least some of their story. Keep in mind that we won't learn everything, either - but just enough for everyone to trust each other enough to get to the next step (and to set up some plot-tage for future sequels)!_

_Much love and thanks to everyone's been reading and reviewing! Awesomeness goes out to **Codywolf** (who is always the first to read and review, it seems! ^^), **Admiral Da****ala**, **laloga** (your couch misses me, doesn't it?), **LongLiveTheClones** and **reulte** (I was so excited to get a review from you!). You guys are the reason I write - never forget that! *hugs to all*_

_And by the way...I less than 4,600 words left in NaNoWriMo! Maybe I bent the rules a little bit, by not starting something completely new - but it's been a delight to watch "Rebellion" grow these last four weeks. I never expected to get this far, but it's the best feeling in the world to look back and see how far we've all come (characters, readers, writer, and all)!_

_And because I never plan these things in advance...any requests for who joins Cody, Sheresh, and Rowin in the kitchen? (Of the characters who have already been introduced - baring Korbin, alas. He has to stay in Cree'dee for now.) I'd love to hear your requests!_

_Love it? Like it? Hate it? Lemme know...!_


	14. Wisdom, Justice, & Love5

**References:**_ I simply couldn't help myself from making a few references to **Watership Down** and **Monty Python and the Holy Grail**. Kudos to whoever catches the reference(s)! ^^_ _Hopefully, someone gets a chuckle or two..._

**A/N:** _Sheresh and Rowin were a lot more wordy than I was expecting at the end of last chapter...so no **Numa** or **Fives **this time around. :( This chapter was just getting too long, so I'm afraid their arrival to the kitchen/part in the conversation__ will have to wait until next time around. Apologies to **reulte** and **Kiana Tavers-M**__**ereel**...your requests will show up soon, I promise!_

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><p><em>"...Cannot be reconciled with wisdom, justice and love."<em>

**"Wisdom, Justice, and Love"**

**Linkin Park**

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><p>Cody was fairly certain that one could have heard a spanner drop. For several long seconds, neither he nor Sheresh said anything; the clone wasn't sure if his Mandalorian companion had heard the story before or not, but from his end, Rowin's revelation bordered on the unimaginable.<p>

He had heard of Dark Jedi. He had heard of Sith. He had heard of renegade Jedi. He had heard of banished Jedi. He had heard of good Jedi going bad. He had heard of bad Jedi going good. But, he had never once heard of a Jedi who had _lost_ her connection to the Force.

Suddenly, Kil's lack of reaction toward Korbin made a whole lot more sense. In fact, now that the truth had been shared, Cody almost had to wonder why he hadn't suspected such a thing himself. Except, of course, that he had never once imagined that such a thing could possibly happen to a Jedi.

It definitely put the Jedi – as a collective whole – into a new and unsettling light. It took away their invincibility; it made them strangely..._mortal_. Cody frowned slightly and wished he hadn't drunk his caf so quickly – he could have used a suitable distraction at that moment.

His chest twinged slightly and he gingerly rubbed a hand across the front of his half-opened flight-suit. For all of the talking that he had been doing, his breath wasn't coming in as short as it had been the night before. The bacta patches and Kix's homemade remedy were apparently working wonders, though Cody knew better than to try and move suddenly any time soon.

So, for the moment, he silently nursed his wounds and pondered Rowin's shocking revelation.

It was quite heart-rending to discover that Kil had witnessed the murder of her own _twin_. Cody looked down at his mug and squeezed his eyes shut for a just a few moments in silent sympathy. He couldn't even begin to imagine such a thing; in light of her trauma, the clone imagined that perhaps losing a grasp on the Force wasn't so shocking a consequence. The clones themselves were practically twins – the death of one another was not something that even the most jaded clone took for granted. Cody had lost a piece of his soul every time one of his men had been cut down in battle – how much more devastating could it be to lose a brother with whom one had actually shared a mother's womb?

Cody had no reference for Kil's loss – he couldn't fathom the depths of her pain. But, he could appreciate the horror that she must have felt; he had felt the same when Echo had died. When Waxer had been beheaded. When he had collected the effects of the fallen and wondered what to do with them.

He wished such death on no one. Especially _not_ a Jedi. They were born to life – or, so he had always naively believed before learning of Umbara, before executing Order 66.

And then...another nuance of what Rowin had said dawned on Cody and he shook his head in sheer disbelief.

"Kil _and_ Kian were on Medstar Five?" he could have kicked himself almost immediately after asking his question; he had no desire to trivialize Kil's trauma.

At the same time, he was frankly amazed by the threads of coincidence that were slowly weaving all of them together.

"Kian was injured on Felucia – I don't really know all of the details, but it was enough to send him up to orbit," Rowin didn't seem to take offense to Cody's social awkwardness and the bi-ped rabbit answered the clone's question, regardless of it's possible inappropriateness. "Kil an' I were passin' through the sector on the trail o' a bounty an' she stopped to check up on her brother. It wasn't often that the two o' them were on the same side o' the galaxy...much less in the same quadrant. She just meant to stop in for an hour or two," Rowin's furry face looked haunted in the bright kitchen light, as he stared hard at the table underneath his paws. "That choice changed everythin'."

"How did Kil manage to not get killed herself? You said she _saw_ Kil's death...but...if you don't mind me asking," Sheresh paused, as if afraid of indelicacy herself – fear, however, never stopped a Mandalorian. "Where were _you_?"

"I was several levels down on the hangar deck, sittin' with the ship, when the Order came through. I didn't really know what happened at first...but I felt my connection with Kil..._change_. I still can't explain how. It grew..._dark_, is the only word I have for it," Rowin shook his lop-eared head and frowned thoughtfully into a troubling past. "A Lepi Bond exists independently of the Force – Kil bein' a Jedi an' me bein' Force Sensitive just enhanced it, really. Made it stronger, maybe a little sharper," the rabbit shrugged as he struggled to put his memories and feelings into words. "So, I didn't realize at first what, exactly, had happened to her, or what had changed. But, I knew that it was _bad_. I knew I needed to find her.

"Unfortunately, I couldn't get off of the hangar deck. Kriff...it took me about 'bout five minutes to figure out _what_ was happenin' and by then, some o' the other pilots on the deck had died tryin' to change the tide of destruction," Rowin's bright blue eyes grew dark and Cody felt his skin crawl.

The Lepi wasn't sharing any graphic details, but the clone commander could well imagine the chaos and the darkness that had spiraled into being on the medstar. The death toll on a medical ship filled with Jedi had to have been both thorough and harrowing – Cody was frankly amazed that some, like Kil and Tay, had even managed to survive the atrocities meted out by their own patients.

"They locked the hangar deck from the outside – ordered those o' us who could, to leave immediately or they would open fire. Then, some o' the clones in the ranks seemed to realize what was goin' on an' what they were doin'. Some rebelled – I watched a whole platoon slaughter itself in minutes. Half o' the clones had been patched up by the very Jedi they were bein' asked to kill – the other half either didn't care or didn't have that experience to bond them to any sort of loyalty. More than just Jedi died on that Medstar," Rowin reached up suddenly and hid his face in his paws; even Cody was overwhelmed by the portrait of horror that the Lepi painted with his desolate words. "Chiyou told me later that _all_ o' the clones in the intensive care units and in surgery died 'long with their Jedi doctors. The Force was all that was keeping many o' the more sensitive triage cases alive. When their able-bodied brothers raised fire..."

Rowin's voice faltered for a few moments, before he cleared his throat and pressed on. Cody almost wished that the space-rabbit would stop; the story of Medstar Five was almost more than he could bear. But...the clone commander also understood that it was a story he needed to hear. It was his lover's story, it was Saa's story. As such, it had become _his_ story.

"Many o' the other patients – the ones in ICU or in surgery – died when they tried to defend the Jedi to whom they owed their lives. Some fought back, I've heard. Some escaped, I hope. Fives did, obviously. He was in the physical therapy ward, a level or two 'bove Kian's recovery unit. In fact, 'parently, Kian's room was along the way Fives took to the hangar deck. I'll never know what possessed that crazy ARC to run and _not_ to fight – it's the only time I've honestly known him to show that amount of level-headed self-restraint – but I s'pect it had something to do with Chiyou an' with the Jedi to whom he claims he owes a life debt."

"Tay," Cody practically whispered her name in awe; it was humbling to realize how far-reaching his lover's influence really was.

It was humbling to realize how great an impact one small Jedi – one small _female_ – could make. And it was even _more_ humbling to see how the Force was slowly bringing all of those influences together in one place, at one time.

"Right," Rowin nodded at the mention of Tay's name. "Healer Tay – he's talked often o' her. Though," the rabbit paused and glanced at Cody for the first time in several long minutes. "That's probably his own story to tell. In any event, he felt a deep 'nough loyalty to her, that he risked pain, injury, an' death to try an' find her in the chaos. O' course...she obviously got out," Rowin waved a paw briefly at his clone companion. "But, it wasn't thanks to any o' Fives' efforts. I don't think he's honestly forgiven himself for that – 'til meeting you, he's always agonized over whether or not she made it off of the medstar alive."

"I'm sure he's been relieved since to find out that she did," Sheresh's voice was tinged with an emotion that Cody couldn't name; he glanced over at her, but she was staring down at the table and her expression was hard to read.

"I'm sure he'll have a lot of questions to ask you," Rowin raised an eyebrow as he looked Cody over.

"Unfortunately, he won't find much enlightenment from me about what happened on Medstar Five," Cody could but shrug. "She saved _me_. Saa, on the other hand, saved _her_."

"Ahh...your clan chieftain, right, Sheresh?" the piebald Lepi wiggled his nose curiously at the half-Zeltron.

Sheresh remained unusually quiet, but she did lift her head and meet Rowin's gaze. She nodded once, twice, and then lowered her gaze back down at her hands. In her own way, she seemed as affected by Rowin's tale as Cody.

"So, I take it Fives ran into Kil when he passed by Kian's room?" Cody hesitantly steered the conversation back on course; Rowin took no offense, however, as he nodded thoughtfully.

"Yup. I'm still a little fuzzy on how that happened – she gave me a few details 'bout what happened in her brother's room, once we figured out how to communicate by sign language," Rowin sighed heavily and swiped a paw over his right ear, as if soothing an itch. "I s'pose I should have said earlier that we _were_ practically telepathic. After Kian died..." the rabbit's ears moved slightly as he shook his head. "We've had to make due on pantomime an' hand gestures."

"How did Kil manage to escape her brother's fate?" Sheresh gently guided the rabbit back on track; Cody was starting to notice that conversations with the Lepi never followed a completely linear line of thought.

"They both felt death hit the Medstar at the same time. 'Cause Kian was in the recoup ward, he was slightly buffered from the immediate fallout of the Order. In the moments it took for his executioners to get organized an' come lookin' for him, he convinced Kil to hide in the space under the bed on the opposite side of his room. It was the only place she _could_ hide – her brother's lasts words to her was that neither of them would survive if she tried to take him an' run. An'..." Rowin nearly moaned, his sigh was so heavy and burdened by sorrow. "He wanted at least _one_ of the Tharen line to continue.

"They knew, ya' know. As soon as it happened. If a Jedi had enough time to register an' recognize the death spreadin' out across the galaxy like a wound, he or she _knew_ what was happenin'. Kian was at least quick-thinkin' and convincin' 'nough to spare his sister's life."

"And yet...she watched him die," Cody spoke the unthinkable into the still kitchen air.

Rowin merely nodded, too overcome by his own emotions to speak. After a long, sorrowful moment, he quietly broke the silence – there was still more of the story left to tell and it seemed to compel the Lepi onward.

"Kil's never told me 'bout anythin' after that point. I've never asked. Fives an' Chiyou found her stumblin' through the hallway outside o' her brother's room, though – they've both told me that much.

"After the platoon of clones killed each other, us pilots managed to hot-wire the hangar doors from our side an' force 'em open. I'm proud to say I had a paw in that myself," the slightest ghost of a smile touched the corner of Rowin's mouth as he wiggled his furry fingers. We even managed to incapacitate the clones that had been ordered to keep guard on the door. For at least as long as _I _was involved – which was 'bout thirty standard minutes – we even managed to secure the majority o' the hangar deck. I don't know how long that lasted after Fives, Chiyou, an' I left, but we at least managed to keep the hangar deck secure long 'nough for a few pilots to get free.

"Once I saw Kil, I was too worried to really worry 'bout anyone else – I knew somethin' _bad_ had happened to Kian, but my first concern was for _her_ safety. I know some ships took flight at the same time I did; I hope that others managed to escape the Medstar after we left. I know that a lot o' pilots gave their lives in an attempt to save both clones an' Jedi. I'm goin' to assume, too, that Saa an' Tay managed to get out durin' the time that the hangar deck was protected."

Rowin paused and stared off distantly in the general direction of the caf carafe. But, Cody knew the look of a sentient that was staring into a past that couldn't be seen; Rowin was lost to his own thoughts. His voice was both soft and wistful as he seemed to speak only to himself.

"I've hoped upon hope every day since then, that there were more survivors o' Medstar Five than just us four – well, six, now," he glanced over at Cody and his intelligent blue eyes were haunted. "I've just never been able to believe that _all_ o' the goodness in the galaxy was wiped out, y'know?"

"It wasn't," Cody wasn't even sure if he believed it fully himself, but something compelled him to reach out and take firm hold of the Lepi's wrist.

He found himself echoing Obi-Wan's words, echoing the very hope that he himself had clung to in the days since leaving behind Chan-Dar's gravestones.

"There's still hope in the galaxy. There's hope as long as we _never forget_."

* * *

><p>"Kil hasn't spoken a word since that day," Rowin handed piping hot mugs around to their respective owners.<p>

The three had taken an appropriate moment of silence after Cody's declaration of hope. Rowin stood up during that time to fill his cup and offered to refill his companions' as well. Neither Sheresh nor Cody objected – on Cody's end, it was comforting, at least, to have something hot and _real_ between his hands. Caf anchored him, strangely enough, and provided some solace to the surrealism of their discussion. He didn't really _need_ the caf – since he was certainly alert at this point – but he _wanted_ the caf, if only for it's silent comfort.

"Chiyou calls it 'selective mutism' – whatever _that_ means," the big rabbit just rolled his shoulders and took a solemn sip of his drink. "I guess it's a psychological byproduct of Kil's loss, her trauma. Losin' Kian was to her what losin' her would be to me because of our Bond," Rowin paused and looked for his next words in the ethereal steam that drifted up into his nose. "But...she hasn't been the same since Order 66. I don't blame her for it...but I fear for her. I worry that if she should find her connection back to the Force, it'll lead her to the Darkside. I've felt such..._emptiness_ in her. Such..._void_. I stayed with her for 'bout a year, but in the last six months, I took my leave. Just for a little bit, y'know?"

The lop-eared Lepi looked up from his caf and glanced from Sheresh to Cody, as if looking for affirmation. Cody got the sense that Rowin was speaking honestly of a decision that now haunted him and also of things that he hadn't been able to voice since Kil's loss. Slowly, the clone nodded – it was a strange thing, to be in the position to validate the feelings of another broken soul. But, he thought that maybe he could empathize with the rabbit's choices. Even if he himself lacked an identical experience, Cody could certainly understand what it felt like to question one's choices, one's sanity, one's sincerity.

And, when faced with a chance to bolster the failing spirits of another, Cody found that he was compelled to give back some of the grace that Tay had given to him. Words failed him in a way that they never seemed to fail her, but he nodded all the same.

Sheresh, for her part, reached out and put her hand comfortingly on Rowin's furry forearm. It seemed that she, too, understood at least some aspect of the struggle that had torn the rabbit silently from the inside.

"I've felt that if Kil reconnects to the Force an' falls to the Darkside, that she'll take me with her if I'm not careful," Rowin didn't seem able to look either of them in the eye as he brought life to his inner fears. "I've felt so _helpless_ since Order 66...so _insignificant_. What can one _rabbit _do to change what's happened, y'know? We're the laughin' stock o' the galaxy, really, us Lepi. I wanna turn back the tide – I wanna _fight_. But, I don't know _how_," the rabbit pushed a heavy sigh through his prominent front teeth and frowned at his unassuming caf. "So...I went back to the one thing I've always done – that one thing I know I do well. Fastest paw in the Outer Rim and all that," he lifted his hand again and wiggled his ears; a flash of pride sparked deep in his azure eyes. "I learned that there were rogue clones who decided to turn bounty hunter – either for their own interests or by direct sanction of the Empire – an' hunt down the Jedi who escaped from Operation Nightfall."

A deadly look settled itself over the rabbit's features and in that instant, Cody realized that the Lepi was not all fluff and furriness. There was a ferocity to him that was as intimidating as it would be in the mightiest Togorian; Rowin was, if anything, _protective_ and the seething anger in the Lepi's eyes left no doubt in Cody's mind that there was very little the space-rabbit wouldn't do to keep his Bond-mate safe.

"I knew I wouldn't get far without a fast ship an' a partner, though. That's when I remembered Sheresh here – we ran into each other once or twice durin' the Wars, since we were both smugglers on behalf o' the Republic. Kil's work took her all over the place, for one, an' for 'nother, I would sometimes do my own thing while Kil did hers. Sometimes, I would get a bounty run from the Republic that would conflict with her own leads – so it wasn't too uncommon for me to fly solo. I met Sheresh here a few times on Nar Shaddaa and Ord Mantell; struck up an unlikely friendship," a smile graced Rowin's thin lips for the first time since the story of Kil and Order 66 had come up. "When I decided to leave Kil in Fives' more-than-capable company, I looked Sheresh up immediately. It was a long shot at the time, but I hoped that, because o' her work in the War, she would still be loyal to the Republic.

"As it turned out, my hunch paid off," the Lepi paused and wiggled his nose at Sheresh; his eyes twinkled and it looked like maybe the conversation was going to meander down a more upbeat path than before.

"It's a little hard to be a Par'jain and not be loyal to the Republic," the Mandalorian bounty hunter made an attempt to be humble; she shrugged as if it was no big thing, but Cody knew that loyalty to the fallen Republic was a traitor's gamble in the Empire's dark rule.

"So, let me make sure I've got this straight," Cody thought of something and he waved a finger first at Sheresh and then at Rowin. "You guys were both_ smugglers_ during the Wars, but then you turned into_ bounty hunters_ afterwards?"

"For the most part, yeah," Sheresh nodded and shifted briefly in her seat. "I was actually minding my own business on Togoria – quite literally, might I add – when Big Ears here hunted me down. When Order 66 hit, Ru_'buir_ and I figured it might be best if we kept our heads down for a while. It's not exactly a secret that Clan Par'jain supported the war effort on behalf of the Republic. We were both questioned rather...ah...forcefully," a dark memory skittered across Sheresh's face and Cody knew better than to ask for any details. "Immediately following Order 66, our ships were seized, our cargo confiscated – the Empire was quite thorough in making sure that we were grounded for at least the immediate weeks following the initial destruction. I agree with Ru'_buir_, in that I think the Powers That Be were making sure we didn't smuggle any Jedi."

"Ffff," Cody pushed a hard breath out through his teeth and shook his head.

"We were detained for about a week after Order 66 and then deported from Malastare – where we had been running supplies before everything went to haran – to Togoria. I kept an ear on what I could of the HoloNews, but it was all propaganda; the Wanted Lists gave me some hope, though, especially when I started hearing clone names," Sheresh reached up and tucked a stray lock of her flaming hair behind her pink-tinged ear. "I opened up a smithy and Ru_'buir_ found work as she could in Caross, the capitol city. We were all quiet and domestic for about six months – before Rowin here caused a scene trying to dock in the Caross Space Port," the half-Zeltron's face lit up in a playful smile and her honey-colored eyes danced as she glanced over at her partner. "The Togorians didn't know what to make of him."

"You mean, they didn't know what to make _outta_' me," Rowin snorted and rolled his eyes; Sheresh just laughed and even Cody could appreciate the mental image of a _rabbit_ facing down a whole planet of warrior_ cats_.

"Thankfully, you had the foresight to drop Ru_'buir'_s name. _And_ mine," Sheresh shook her head and laughed. "Or else I think you would have ended up on a communal spit, my friend."

"I've never doubted it," Rowin mumbled as he flattened his ears against his skull in a clear gesture of disapproval.

He glanced slyly over at Cody and wiggled his whiskers impudently.

"Ru_'buir_'s not a bad cat, mind you. But, barrin' her, I must admit I don't have much love for Togorians. Somethin' 'bout their big, pointy teeth... Ugh!" Rowin shuddered delicately and Cody just snorted into his caf.

"Rowin, your every ancestor was once the galactic meal ticket," Sheresh giggled and after the heaviness of Order 66, it was nice to feel some levity returning to their kitchen table conversation. "It's a wonder you Lepis ever took to the stars!"

"Some of us 'parently like to stare the Black Rabbit down an' laugh in his face," Rowin arched an eyebrow as he took a healthy swig of his cooling caf.

"'The Black Rabbit'?" it was Cody's turn to arch an eyebrow.

"A Lepi myth," Sheresh offered an explanation before Rowin could swallow.

The rabbit immediately began to shake his head; he swallowed a little too quickly in his haste and started coughing. Cody reached over and thumped his companion solidly across the shoulders; after a moment or two, the Lepi caught his breath and he wheezed as soon as he was able to form words -

"Not a myth," he coughed, cleared his throat, and tried again in a steadier voice. "S'just our name for Death," Rowin cleared his throat again and waved a paw in the air between him and Cody. "Every culture has a name for Death; on Coachelle Prime, Death is 'the Black Rabbit.' Coincidentally, ya'll never find a black Lepi – if ya' thought lopped ears were bad," he tugged his left ear for emphasis and frowned slightly. "Well...bein' born a black rabbit is even worse. It's extraordinarily rare – mostly 'cause any family line that might carry the gene has been wiped out under the claim o' bein' 'cursed'. Bein' funny colors an' havin' weird ears is annoyin'...but bein' black in our culture is a death sentence. For the kit an' its family."

"That's...sort of grim," Cody frowned as well and chewed on his lip for a moment.

"That's life as a Lepi," Rowin shrugged and cautiously tried sipping on his caf again. "No more grim than life as a clone, I would imagine."

"True," Cody raised his eyebrows and nodded with a sigh.

"Soooo...happy thoughts!" Sheresh slapped the table as she slid off of her stool.

Both males looked up at her and shared a rueful smile. The conversation had been a bizarre see-saw of pleasantry and darkness. Silence fell among them and Cody watched with interest as Sheresh limped over to the counter to set her empty caf mug down next to a collection of what looked to be dirty dishes.

"Well...dunno if this falls into the category of 'happy', necessarily, but..." Cody paused and then decided to go ahead and embrace his nosier tendencies. "Where'd you get your limp?"

He was expecting a war story, but what he got was a flash of something like sadness. Sheresh glanced over her shoulder at him, with an expression he couldn't quite read. Then, she turned back around toward the counter and started fussing with the dishes in the manner of a sentient who was looking for any excuse to delay her answer.

"I have acute gout," she finally replied after a moment or two of idle fiddling; she glanced over her shoulder just in time to see Cody frown slightly, as the term was unfamiliar to him.

She sighed, turned back around to face the dishes, and rested her hands on top of the counter.

"Gout is a kind of arthritis that occurs when acid builds up in the blood around a joint. Acute gout usually affects just one specific joint - in this case, my right ankle. I limp almost all the time now; even when my ankle isn't inflamed, it can be hard to walk normally on it. Ru'_buir_ thinks that the disease is focused mostly around my ankle for now...but in a few years, it might go chronic and affect my entire leg from ankle to knee."

The Mandalorian didn't turn around to meet Cody's face and he could have kicked himself for having turned the conversation back toward the personal and the painful.

"I had just been adopted by Ru_'buir_ when I had my first outbreak; I was about 21 at the time. On one hand, I'm thankful that the disease decided to set in while I was at Kamino – I'm sure I don't need to tell you that their medical facilities are the finest in the galaxy. On the other hand, though," Sheresh finally turned around; she bit her lip as she crossed her arms over her chest and leaned her hip against the counter. "It caused some problems for Ru'_buir_ at first. Fett was _not_ pleased to have such..._weakness_...in someone he hadn't even picked for the job," something like anger and hurt mixed within her expressive eyes.

"Perfection," Cody wrinkled up his nose as if he had just taken a bite of something distasteful. "The curse of Kamino."

"Indeed," Sheresh nodded grimly. "Though, I should specify that I was always a bone of contention for Fett - I was too shiny, too _new_, too..." she paused, as if searching for the right words. "Too much of everything he wasn't looking to have in the _Cuy'val Dar_. I was on Kamino because he wanted Ru_'buir_ as an instructor and she wouldn't accept his offer unless I went with her. Imperfections that he was willing to accept in others, he was less willing to accept in me," the half-Zeltron rolled her shoulders with a wry and sudden smile. "Fett and I were always at odds. That got me into trouble on more than one occasion."

After a moment, a subtle smile curved around her lips and other memories seemed to overshadow some of Sheresh's bitterness.

"Fett not withstanding, though, I found during those seven years that weakness is in the eye of the beholder. My gout and 'shininess' caught the eye of one of the _Cuy'val Dar_," the female Mandalorian paused and glanced down at her crossed arms, as if suddenly pondering the wisdom of saying anything further.

After a moment, she continued, her voice strangely wistful.

"Walon Vau taught me that imperfection only existed if you acknowledged it; that weakness was only present if you allowed it to define you. Sergeant Vau," Sheresh lifted her head and avoided both Cody and Rowin as she narrowed her eyes thoughtfully at the ceiling above them. "Was a hard man with hard ways. But, he taught me well. I left Kamino with many friends among the _Cuy'val Dar_ – while I'm not sure that I would necessarily classify Vau as a 'friend', I know I at least have his respect. I learned to live around my gout," the red-headed Mandalorian finally dared to look Cody in the eye. "There are days when I'm physically incapable of moving, but those are usually the days when I'll sit at the helm and let Rowin run the show."

She flashed the Lepi a bright smile and the rabbit wiggled his ears at her in wordless response. Cody mulled over Sheresh's revelations – 'Vau' was a dimly familiar name, but only dimly. He'd heard stories of the various _Cuy'val Dar,_ to be sure. He even knew some of the names. But, 'Vau' didn't ring an immediate bell; he shrugged slightly to himself and glanced at Sheresh, who had been watching him with a look of strange intensity. It was almost as if she half-expected him to judge her, but Cody had no reference with which to pass an opinion. He just raised a thick eyebrow at her and Sheresh sighed through her teeth, as if she had been expecting a different reaction.

"As it turned out, I wasn't the only _Cuy'val Dar_ to have a handicap," she continued abruptly as she uncrossed her arms and sauntered back over to her stool. "Kal Skirata had a limp, for example – and we had another instructor who stuttered. And, there were others; a life of fighting leaves its mark after a while. Fett got over himself eventually – at the end of the day, all that truly matters to a Mandalorian is how capable you are of doing your job. Well," she paused for a moment as she settled herself back in her seat and leaned her elbows on the table. "And how courageous you are. I settled that question fairly early on in my Kamino career, in the center of a Mandalorian Battle Circle. As for my job," the young armorer waved her hand with a proud smile. "That didn't stay long in dispute, either. I think by the time we all parted ways, most of the _Cuy'val Dar_ had forgotten that I even _had_ a disability."

"Is that why no one seems bothered by Sol's power chair?" Cody didn't necessarily mean to change the topic, but his mind immediately jumped to the Kelborn leader.

He blushed slightly at his boldness and wondered if maybe Saa's bluntness was starting to rub off on him. The clone glanced sideways at Rowin, as if silently beseeching him for help, but the giant rabbit only chuckled into the remaining dredges of his caf.

"No one in his right mind would ever doubt Sol'yc Kelborn's prowess as a warrior," Sheresh's tone was stern, but her eyes still smiled warmly across the table at Cody. "Sol will gladly tell you his story, though – like most Mandalorians – he won't tell you much about his life before becoming Mando'ad. As far as I know, though, he's always been in a power chair. I don't know all the details, but I think he was injured as a young man fighting in Korun's Summertime War."

"He's Korun?" Cody immediately recalled the fiercest Jedi he had ever met in his short life – Mace Windu, a famous Korun himself.

Cody had never met another Korunnai outside of Master Windu, but his interactions with the bold Jedi had left the former commander duly impressed by the Korun warrior spirit. He had often wondered, in the quiet places of his mind, what had really happened that night on Coruscant, when reports claimed that Mace Windu had tried to kill the Chancellor, only then to fall ignominiously to his death. Cody had long suspected foul play, since he had seen the sure-footed Windu leap impossible distances and fight against odds astronomically greater than himself. To so neatly "slip and fall to his death"...

The rumors had never sat well with Cody.

The former commander's thoughts skittered dutifully back to the present – and to Sol – when Sheresh turned her head suddenly and sneezed into her forearm. The abrupt combination of sound and movement pulled him out of his memories and the female Mandalorian picked up the conversation again, completely unaware of his mental musings, after she had collected herself.

"Yes, Sol was Korun – adopted by a Wroonian when he was about thirteen standard years old, married to a Lorrdian, and has had only two children biologically," Sheresh tucked back a lock of hair that had fallen out from behind her ear when she had sneezed; she smiled brightly, but Cody thought he saw something subtle flash through her amber eyes. "In many ways, Sol's family is the typical Mandalorian family. A mix-match of different species and societies, united by a culture that they've chosen."

"Still..." Cody paused and chewed on his bottom lip.

He didn't have any difficulty accepting the idea that Sol had gathered around him so many different species, to call "family" and to raise as his own. It also didn't surprise Cody to learn that Sol's wife was of another race, or that his buir was also of totally different species all together. Watching Saa with Hella and hearing Saa's stories of Mrov, Marta, and Mal had accustomed the clone to the idea that uniformity was not a Mandalorian norm. If anything, the Mando'ad seemed to delight in kicking down the walls of xenophobia and challenging galactic concepts of family, tradition, and lineage.

What suddenly fascinated Cody was the revelation that Sol had been adopted in spite of his apparent disability. The clone arched a curious eyebrow at Sheresh and hoped like haran that he wasn't being indelicate.

"Sol's _buir_ adopted him even though he...ah..." Cody made a vague gesture with his hand and faltered for a moment; the question sounded silly, now that he was actually putting words to it.

Sheresh just flashed a knowing smile and chuckled.

"Yes, actually. Sol was adopted into the clans with full knowledge of his limitations. I will admit that adoption of Sol in his condition is a rare thing to find – even among an inclusive society like our own," the half-Zeltron rolled her shoulders and frowned slightly as she considered her next words. "After all, we are primarily a fighting culture and you can't put a soldier in a power chair out on the battlefield. But, for every ten Mandalorians who looks for a son who can fight to_ win_, there's always one Mando'ad who looks for a son who can fight to _survive_.

"I don't know much about the Summertime Wars and that's not a topic that Sol really leaves open for discussion. But, I know this much," Sheresh leaned across the table, as if sharing a great secret, and Cody felt compelled to lean toward her as well. "Sol should have died from his injuries, but he_ didn't._ He's a tough man, Sol'yc Kelborn, and don't ever under-estimate his aim. He might not be able to march with the Mando'ad...but he can certainly cover our_ shebs_."

"I found it a fairly healthy practice in the Wars to never under-estimate my snipers," Cody pressed his lips together and nodded wisely. "They could have taken _me_ out just as easily as they could have taken out the _enemy._ And," the former commander grimaced slightly and gave Sheresh a wry look. "Since they were almost always some variety of Special Forces, they never let me forget that, either."

"Well, your snipers taught you well," Sheresh chuckled softly and she leaned slowly back in her seat. "Sol's encountered his fair share of discrimination from fellow Mando'ad in his youth, but his _buir_ – the _alor_ of Clan Kelborn – always stuck by his decision to adopt, as his eldest son, a man who can't stand on his own two feet. Sol is well-known in regions far beyond these Anobis Borderlands as a high-quality rifle-smith, he is well-respected for raising strong sons and stronger daughters, and no one has questioned his place in the Mando'ad since word reached the Clans of his contribution to the War effort."

Something mischievous sparkled in Sheresh's eyes, as if she knew a secret that she was simply itching to share. Cody arched an eyebrow at her and after pondering the wisdom of his choices for a moment, asked the obvious -

"So...what'd he do in the Wars?"

Sheresh's grin was positively wicked.

"He was one of the_ Cuy'val Dar_."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** _Ahh...another quiet chapter, full of character development and the like. Hope I'm not boring you folks to tears! Things should pick up -fairly- soon... And, I can assure you...by the time this story ends, I think we'll all look back with Cody on these "quiet" hours spent in Sol's kitchen and wish we could go back to them!_

_(Yeah...I've got some evil-ness planned. You guys are NOT going to like me... *coughs* So, enjoy the respite while you can! ^^)_

_Lots of thanks to **laloga**, who read this chapter over and gave me some suggestions. I hope they worked! :)_

_As a random note...I realized while I was writing this chapter, that I tend to write a lot of "broken" Mandalorians. I used to do a lot of Star Wars RPing about on various role-play-by-post sites and I was almost Mand'alor or the prominent Mando on the boards...and nothing annoyed me more than reading over profiles of "perfect" Mandalorians. Having been military for as long as I've been (born, raised, married to, and served!) I know of a lot of soldiers who have too many aches, pains, and problems to count. It just isn't realistic to me for there to be perfectly healthy, whole, and hale Mandalorians - especially those who are Sol or Saa's age, with full-grown children. So, I guess I like my Mandos "broken"; it just makes them more realistic that way. A soldier's life is a hard life - psychologically, if not physically._

_Just a head's up to you, my faithful reader...this will probably be my last update for** ATS: Rebellion** for the year. I'd like to finish the **Chivalry** arc in** Virtues** and I have two more Virtues in the works (**Obi-Wan** and **Rowin**). I'm also working on a...ah..."interlude" with **Kian** and **Korbin**. If you're interested in that, just send me a PM. ;-)_

_Lots of warm thanks and love to **Moondoe**, **reulte**, **Admiral Daala**, **Kiana Tavers-Mereel**, and **laloga**. You guys have the power to make a crappy week better with your awesome reviews. THANK YOU!_

_Love it? Like it? Hate it? Lemme know...!_


	15. Wisdom, Justice, & Love6

"_By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest."_

**Confucious**

* * *

><p>"Well...<em>that<em> explains a lot," Rowin quipped, as he reached up and scratched behind his left ear.

His nose twitched in cadence with his words and Cody thought he could identify signs of hidden amusement in the way the Lepi's whiskers lay against his furry cheeks. The former commander glanced thoughtfully away from the humanoid sitting next to him and shifted his attention back across the table toward a cheekily grinning Sheresh. Words failed the clone, so he merely shook his head and chuckled briefly.

"I don't think I'm ever going to believe in coincidence again," he reached up himself and scrubbed a rough hand over his face. "Choosing to bring us here wasn't so random, was it?"

"Sheresh isn't exactly known for her 'random' decisions," Rowin answered in place of the female Mandalorian; his twangy voice was full of cheer.

"So I'm noticing," Cody snorted and slid a sarcastic sort of look over toward the biped space rabbit.

"No, it wasn't random," Sheresh chuckled and her brilliant smile softened some of Cody's sardonic response. "I've known Sol for a long time, now. Though, I will admit that this is the first time I've ever met his family."

"How did his family take to him disappearing for seven years?" Cody frowned slightly to himself as he pondered a question he had always had about the _Cuy'val Dar_.

"Rather well, as I understand it," Sheresh shrugged; she then paused and amended her statement with a slight frown of her own. "Well, as well as they _could_ take it, given the circumstances. Fett didn't normally recruit Mandalorians with families, as I understand it. When he did, he usually approached those like Sol when they were away from home on business, or in some situation where they could 'disappear' conveniently without a lot of fuss.

"I know he approached Sol while he was negotiating an arms deal with the Verpine; I don't know much about Mandalorian family dynamics to tell you the truth, nor do I know much about Sol's family history. But, it's not uncommon for Mandalorian spouses to go missing for long periods of time – or, indefinitely," something like sadness crept into Sheresh's voice and she broke her gaze with Cody and glanced down at the table beneath them.

"It's a hard life as a Mandalorian – and even harder as a spouse. Those who originate from outside of the culture – like Drali – have to learn to accept the good with the bad. Sometimes, that means going seven years without hearing from a loved one; sometimes, it means_ never_ hearing from them again."

"That's..." Cody thought instantly of Tay and his heart twisted painfully at the thought of her waiting patiently on word from him. "That's really rough."

"Yes, it is," Sheresh finally lifted her head and her honey-brown eyes caught Cody's with a brilliant intensity that riveted his full attention. "The life of the Mando'ad is not for the faint of heart. And that extends to any that a Mandalorian would call his – or her – own."

Silence fell among the three, as Cody turned his own attention toward the handle of his empty caf mug. He fiddled with it and ran his thumb thoughtfully over the green glazed rim. His thoughts wandered over the myriad of events that had unfolded between him and Tay, and he wondered – for the first time, in truth – what his "intentions" toward her really were.

He had slept with her and in doing so, had claimed her as his own. He thought of her as his – and he hoped that she thought of him as hers. But, where would such thoughts lead them? Commitment seemed to be a value held in high esteem among the Mando'ad – as were fidelity, loyalty, and family honor.

Where would his relationship with Tay lead them, especially in light of Sheresh's assurance that Saa intended to eventually adopt Cody into the _aliit_? It was one thing to be a redeemed clone commander, with no creed or cause to call his own. But, if he was a Mandalorian...where did that put him in relation to a certain Jedi fugitive? The Order was all but extinct, but neither he nor Tay could deny the truth of what she was. Nor, could they deny the truth of what Cody himself was slowly becoming.

Could a Mandalorian warrior coexist with a Jedi healer? More importantly, could a Mandalorian warrior commit himself to a Jedi healer and expect the same in return? Tay had already lost one husband and she would probably live the rest of her life without ever knowing how, exactly, Del had died. Would it be fair to ask her to face – yet again – the potential for a similar loss?

Cody titled his head thoughtfully and considered the earthenware mug held between his larger hands. Tay had willingly accepted him into her bed, with the full awareness that he was leaving that next morning, into a future that neither one of them could divine. She had loved him in spite of that knowledge – he had no reason to believe that she wouldn't continue to do so, regardless of whatever happened in the course of his Mandalorian adventures.

And, as far as Saa seemed concerned, Tay was Mando'ad, by virtue of her previous marriage to Del and Del's subsequent kinship with the Par'jain _alor_. The young Miralukan Jedi also seemed well aware of the risks associated with loving men like Del and Cody – from everything that Cody could ascertain, her awareness did not stop her from opening up her heart to them with equal dedication.

Cody decided after much consideration, that his concern was not so much Tay's commitment to him, should he officially choose the path of the Mando'ad. His concern was much more basic, much more daunting in its reality.

To be committed to another being – at least, according to the values of such in the Mandalorian culture – meant one inevitable reality:

_Marriage_.

And, with marriage,_ family_.

Cody swallowed hard and forgot – for the moment – that he was sitting in a common area with two other sentients who were watching him meander through his thoughts. He had never, in his whole short life, ever anticipated the possibility of something like marriage. A few clones dallied in the occasional romance – that was not uncommon or even unexpected. But, there was no permanence associated with such relationships; there was no true expectation of "forever." Cody couldn't think of a single clone – except, perhaps, for Rex – who ever hoped to be another's "one and only." And even Rex, he was sure, had never hoped for anything so extravagant, so _ordinary_, as marriage.

And he, the fabled Commander Cody, had never had time for much romance; the one time he had opened up his heart to a female, she had ripped apart every ounce of trust he possessed. Tay had built back that trust – and more – but even then, Cody hadn't thought in terms of marriage.

Until now, in what was quite possibly the most unlikely place and situation of all.

He was hundreds of miles away from her; he had only shared a single night with her; he had no idea when he might see her again. But, while he couldn't exactly remember how he got to bed, the former commander did remember what he had seen before Kix had helped him make his way to a solitary pillow.

Cody remembered the sense of belonging that he had felt, sitting with Sol and his family within the rounded confines of their spacious gathering room. He remembered the warmth and the sense of inclusiveness that he had felt; he remembered the joy on Ka'ra's tattooed face as she had introduced her husband and younglings.

Did he dare hope for such things himself? It seemed...almost beyond his station, in a way. It seemed horribly grandiose to even hope for something as casual as a relationship-in-passing with a Jedi. To_ marry_ her...to father her younglings...that seemed almost impossible.

_Though,_ Cody mused as he lifted his head and finally met Sheresh's gaze from across the table. _Being_ alive_ seems impossible. Seems there's been a lot of 'impossible' going around these days._

And that's when a new thought struck him, with all the force of a blaster cannon.

_How else will the Jedi Order be built, but through bloodlines and families?_

He could feel his eyes grow wide, as realization dawned on him. Saa's words, spoken on the Ijaat as they had first traveled away from Anobis and Mydwyth, rang in his ears:

_"We've torn this galaxy apart, and we owe it to a whole generation of slaughtered sons and brothers, to do our part to set it right."_

Slowly, Cody turned his head and eyed Rowin, whose own attention had seemingly wandered back toward the caf carafe on the counter across from them. And next, he heard the space rabbit's hope, spoken in words almost too earnest to bear:

_"We've never had a Lepi Jedi yet. Though, I've had dreams o' bein' the first, one day."_

The clone finally turned his eyes back toward his own space, toward his hands which were still wrapped around the mug, as if it were a mooring line meant to keep him from casting adrift into his deeper thoughts. He considered those hands for a moment – they were weathered and scarred, like the rest of him. He had torn apart droids with those hands; had taken down Jedi, had killed other sentients with them. He had, by his own hands, turned himself into a hopeless addict; he had broken his hands against a pole in frustration, anger, and sorrow. His hands had given pleasure to a female, to a Jedi; he tapped the side of his mug with his fingers and considered their future.

He would still fight, he would still bleed, and he would still kill with his hands. But, he hoped, too, to continue bringing pleasure to the female – the Jedi – he called his own. He hoped to hold his children in those weathered hands, before their strength failed him and he succumbed to the aging that accelerated his life.

Cody blinked, his realizations having come full circle, in the companionable silence that had gathered at Sol's battered kitchen table.

He had taken hope away from the galaxy. But, perhaps, he could live long enough to give it back, to replace some of what he had so wrongfully taken. Perhaps, he could give Rowin a master to teach him. Perhaps, he could Saa a son to carry on the clan. Perhaps, he could give the brothers he found some sort of cause to replace the Republic that they had lost.

Perhaps, he could give a Jedi his broken heart and perhaps that would enough to hold them both together in sickness and in health. Perhaps...perhaps...

Perhaps, he was just a family man, beneath the troubled soldier. Perhaps all that was needed to stem the tide of darkness was just a little bit of love.

A little bit of love that could lead to a child.

A child that could lead to a little bit of hope.

A little bit of hope that might reignite the Force and sway its balance back toward the Light.

* * *

><p>Given the nature of his thoughts, Cody was not at all surprised when they were unexpectedly joined by young Numa. She slipped so quietly through the covered doorway, in fact, that not a single adult realized that they had a fourth party in the kitchen, until she started sifting through the dishes in search of a clean mug.<p>

Sheresh was the first to react; she jumped a little at the sound of clinking pottery, but the red-headed Mandalorian wisely moderated her reaction until she had turned around to assess the source of the noise. At the sight of Numa, something mixed flashed across her face, but Cody couldn't quite place it, since she had turned to the side on her stool and he could only catch her profile in that unguarded moment.

"Good morning, youngling," Sheresh greeted the pre-teen Twi'lek with a warm and genuine smile.

"Good morning," Numa took a moment to pause and greet her elders with the manners appropriate for her culture.

She grasped a newly claimed mug in her hands and turned to face the table where the three adults had gathered. The young fugitive bent slightly at the waist and bowed her head in a galactic sign of respect. It was a gesture Cody had once encountered often in his personal interactions with the Twi'leks; the memory of the respect he had once garnered threatened to send him into another introspective silence, but he stopped himself before he lost track of the current conversation.

"Have you seen Nerra Fives yet?" Numa stood up on her toes for a second or two and craned her neck to see around the table and the faces gathered around its weathered surface.

"I think he's still asleep, _ad'ika_," Sheresh shook her head and a lock of her bright hair fell into her eyes.

"Last I heard of Fives, he was still snoring," Cody chuckled and couldn't help the grin that tugged up the corners of his mouth.

Sheresh caught him by surprise, though, when she started giggling uncontrollably. The quirky bounty hunter reached up and tried to stifle her mirth behind her hand, but the sound of her laughter spilled out from between her fingers. Cody lifted an eyebrow at her in silent query, but that only seemed to make the half-Zeltron snicker harder. Mildly perplexed, the clone glanced over at Rowin, who only rolled his narrow shoulders in a casual shrug.

"Don't look at me," the space rabbit drawled lazily as he leaned forward to rest his furry elbows on the table.

"Does she normally burst out in spontaneous laughter?" Cody shook his head and tried not to chuckle himself.

Sheresh's laughter was infectious – he had to give her that much at least.

"Eh, depends," Rowin, too, seemed slightly amused; he wiggled his whiskers at Sheresh and twitched an ear in a manner similar to his previous shrug. "Though, beats me why she'd find a snoring clone so funny."

Both Rowin and Cody looked at Sheresh expectantly, but she didn't seem at all inclined to explain her random burst of laughter. Instead, she turned her attention back to Numa and pushed the stool next to her out with her good foot in silent invitation to the young Twi'lek.

"What time is it, _ad'ika_?" the female Mandalorian was still smirking over her own private amusement, but she continued to ignore her male companions and blithely changed the subject.

Numa didn't respond immediately, but she moved gracefully from the sink and clambered up on the stool with a mug full of milk. She settled herself before she answered and her behavior was that of a maturing young woman who was comfortable around her elders in spite of her age.

"I think it's about seven standard hours in the morning. Maybe later. I don't have a wrist-chrono and I haven't really seen any since I got here," she sipped her milk and considered the three over the edge of her mug. "But, I took a peek outside before I found my way here. The sun's up."

"At this time of the year…? That probably means it's more like eight standard hours or so," Sheresh sighed and the laughter in her face faded as her mind clearly switched toward more practical matters.

Cody could sense that the time for comfortable camaraderie was drawing to a close. Others in the_ vheh'yaim_ were sure to stir soon – if they hadn't already – and the kitchen, with its heavy scent of caf, was certain to draw new arrivals. Sheresh seemed to be thinking the same thing, because she reached over and patted Numa gently on the arm.

"If you stick around here long enough, I'm sure Fives will show up," her unannounced movement seemed to have startled Numa, so the bounty hunter winked playfully in what appeared to be an attempt to put the jumpy young Twi'lek at ease.

It seemed to work, though Cody wasn't sure if it was Sheresh's wink that did the trick, or the Mandalorian's sudden interest in Numa's current situation.

"If you don't mind me asking, Numa," the bounty hunter withdrew her hand and adopted a casual pose, with her elbows on the table and an easy smile. "Is it just you and Fives for now?"

Numa nodded slowly as she clutched the mug in her hand – unlike Cody's, her was glazed a deep blue that complimented the turquoise tint of her skin. Her eyes were large and dark over the rim of her drink and her response was heart-wrenchingly solemn for a youngling of only ten standard years.

"There's _Nerra_ Boil, too, but he's been captured," her young face fell and her gaze slid away from Sheresh's face. "For a while, there was my uncle. And then _Nerra_ Boil showed up and rescued me. Then there was_ Nerra_ Boil _and_ _Nerra_ Fives for a long while," her eyes lifted and Cody was suddenly riveted by her guileless look. "They both lost their own _nerras_, so they've become very close."

Shame tore through Cody's heart in the wake of her stare. And, if he had any hope of Numa_ not_ knowing who was responsible for Waxer's death, he now knew that it was gone. The young Twi'lek knew at least some part of his past – most likely from Boil himself. In quick retrospect, Cody mused that the revelation wasn't entirely unexpected. Numa had to have asked questions – and many of them – when Boil resurfaced into her life without the accompaniment of his ever-present partner, Waxer. Even at so young an age, Numa's reality was shaped by the truth of war; he knew the story of how Waxer and Boil had found her in the ruins of what had once been her own home.

The truth of Waxer's death wouldn't have escaped her and Boil wouldn't have withheld it. Cody hung his head and tried to find solace from his crimes in the scratched and scarred wooden surface beneath his forearms. His guilt was only slightly assuaged when Numa deftly turned the conversation toward the others, in what was suddenly a very perceptive search for the truth.

"I thought I'd lost both _Nerra_ Fives and _Nerra_ Boil, when the Imperials caught up with us in Korynth."

Cody continued to contemplate the table, but he heard Numa's voice turn toward Rowin and Sheresh. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the space rabbit flinch in anticipation of the pending – and hard-hitting – question.

"_Nerra_ Fives says you betrayed us to the Empire. Why would you do that and then turn around to help us?"

For several seconds, nothing was spoken. Cody cautiously lifted his head and glanced toward his right, where Rowin was fiddling with his empty cup, and then across the table, where Sheresh was frowning at the ceiling. Finally, after a torturous calm, Sheresh started to speak; her words were soft and slowly uttered, as if the weight of them kept them from slipping easily off of her tongue.

"We didn't betray you to the Empire, Numa. If anything, the Empire betrayed_ us_."

"We made a deal with them," Rowin lifted his eyes and his furry face was somber; his clear blue eyes had darkened to a deep cobalt and his inner turmoil was clearly expressed in the drooping set of his pale whiskers. "And here you have it," the space rabbit waved an all-encompassing paw at the four of them. "The result of such a bargain."

"So you _do_ admit to making a bargain with Appo?" a familiar – and abrasive – voice cut through Rowin's stumbling explanation and riveted each of them to their seats.

Even Cody felt a deep sense of dread as he lifted his head and looked toward the kitchen entrance. Fives stood framed in the doorway, barefoot and hair tousled from sleep. His appearance would have been almost comical, except that every muscle in his bare chest was taunt with anger. His hands were clenched at his side and even his jaw was tight, as he directed a murderous gaze toward Rowin's head.

"For the love of _Manda_, would you stop jumping to conclusions, Fives?" Sheresh surprised Cody by responding to Fives' abrupt appearance in righteous indignation.

The former commander was struck – yet again – by the undeniable familiarity of Sheresh's interactions with Fives. The two had a past together – of that Cody was almost certain – and he was willing to bet that it was a past that far preceded recent events.

His hunch was further validated by the look that Fives shot the female bounty hunter. The former ARC was still angry, but something about his expression shifted when he turned his attention toward Sheresh. Cody couldn't quite place it, but something like betrayal replaced a great majority of the raw fury that had been directed mainly at Rowin. Cody also didn't miss the way that Fives' eyes lingered briefly on the curve of Sheresh's face – or the way her eyes slid appraisingly over the ARC's naked torso.

"Then tell me the truth. Right now, right here," Fives' body language remained hostile, but the tone of his voice switched subtly from accusation to confrontation.

The ARC stepped further into the light, until he was about an arm's length away from the table. He then jabbed a finger abruptly in Sheresh's general direction and narrowed his eyes. Suspicion still clung to the set of his broad shoulders and Cody knew that the moment of reckoning had come for both Sheresh and Rowin.

And, indeed, he was curious himself to see how it all played out. The former commander had accepted Sheresh's help on good faith, but even he was willing to accept that dire circumstances created strange bedfellows. They had all been forced to trust each other in order to make this far – and while Cody didn't doubt the honesty of Sol and his family, or the sincerity of their political alignment, he was still able to appreciate the precarious position that they all currently occupied. It wouldn't take much for fate to tip the balance and Fives, for one, didn't seem willing to continue taking chances on blind faith.

Cody couldn't blame him.

Neither, apparently, did Sheresh. The bounty hunter met Fives' eyes and the whole room stilled as she began her quiet confession.

"Rowin made contact with me about six standard months ago. Kil's Bond with him was wearing him down because of the difficulty she's had adjusting to the loss of her brother. He wanted a change of pace and tracked me down on Togoria. He asked me if I wanted to partner up and I was bored, so I said 'yes'," Sheresh slowly reached up and tucked a strand of errant hair behind a pink-tinged ear; her eyes never left Fives' grim-set face.

"We decided to go after rogue clones – the ones being contracted by the Empire to hunt down deserters and Jedi. We thought that maybe if we tracked down a few rogues, we might be able to find a few fugitives, too," she shrugged and for the first time, her eyes slipped down toward her hands, which were folded on top of the kitchen table. "Though…to be perfectly honest, Fives," the bounty hunter's honey-colored eyes lifted again and her expression was a mixture of sadness and some other emotion Cody couldn't place. "Rowin really only wanted to protect you and the others.

"I thought that if we went after the bad guys, we might be able to keep 'em off ya'll's tail," Rowin piped up; his twangy accent filled the room with an unexpected warmth and a bold earnestness that was hard to deny. "I thought that maybe if ya'll had a little bit o' relief from all the runnin' around, maybe…" a strange hitch broke the continuity of Rowin's voice and the Lepi hastily cleared his throat to cover up the deep emotion that wavered at the edge of his words. "Maybe Kil could get better in peace, y'know? An' maybe little Numa could grow up somewhere safe…an' maybe you an' Boil could rest."

"You wanted to keep us safe?" Numa carefully set her empty mug on the table and gazed across the scarred surface toward Rowin's furry face.

Her expression was one of justified incredulity – after all, she was a child of war and she had learned at a young age that happy endings were few and far between. But, a child's hope shone out through her soft brown eyes and even Fives seemed touched by her unguarded optimism.

"I swear, on the Black Rabbit himself, that that was all we ever wanted," Rowin lifted his right paw and solemnly swore to the genuineness of his intentions.

Fives, however, was unmoved.

"Then why did you make a deal with Appo?" he challenged for a second time; his shoulders tensed and Cody absently noticed, for the first time, that a web of fine scarring covered nearly every inch of Fives' bared skin.

The former commander lifted an eyebrow in silent curiosity and made a mental note to ask Fives about the scarring later.

_If there's a 'later' to be had, that is,_ Cody eyed the ARC's clenched fists and even tighter gritted jaw. _Thank the Force he didn't come in here with a blaster._

There was little doubt in Cody's mind that – in Fives' current state of hyper-paranoia – that he would have shot first and asked questions later, if he had stepped into the kitchen armed.

"We never said we made a deal with Appo," Sheresh huffed indignantly and Cody could tell by the flush in her cheeks that she was trying hard to keep her own temper in check. "We made a deal with another clone – a rogue. You wouldn't even know him. His name was – is – Jecks."

A cold chill raced down Cody's spine and it was the former commander's turn to sit up suddenly and join in the conversation. He didn't even really mean to say anything, but the words leapt – unbidden – from his lips in point-blank shock.

"You made a deal with Jecks?" a part of Cody realized that he was surprising everyone else, in turn, by his recognition of the name, but he was beyond caring.

Images of his last fateful encounter with Jecks flooded into the forefront of his mind. The memory of Tay, backed up against a wall and desperate with a fallen Saa at her feet, sent a sense of panic clawing up Cody's throat. He had questioned Tay's mercy at the time, but had forgotten about it in the course of time and in all that had happened since then. But, now…now, Tay and Saa were more than just strangers passing through the frayed edges of his life. She was his lover and he was the closest thing Cody could ever have to a father; the realization that Jecks was still very much alive and well set the former commander into immediate alert.

It also made him eye Sheresh and Rowin a little less favorably. His eyes narrowed, but it was Fives who lent voice to Cody's sudden suspicion. And, as usual, Fives' paranoia was directed toward the wrong person.

Though, in retrospect, Cody accepted that Fives' mistrust was justified under the current circumstances.

"What do _you_ know about Jecks?" Fives folded his arms slowly over his chest and challenged Cody as unapologetically as he would Sheresh.

"I know he tried to collect a bounty on Tay," Cody jutted out his jaw stubbornly, unmoved by Fives' bristling hostility. "He shot Saa and would have taken her down, too, if I hadn't been there to intervene."

The former commander paused for a moment and wondered briefly if he should offer any further details. The conversation around him, though, was moving rapidly and he decided that if Fives wanted further details, then he could ask for them at a later time. Right now the only thing that mattered, was communicating to Fives that Jecks was no ally of Cody – not ever and especially not now.

Cody's answer was sparse, but it appeared to be enough to satisfy Fives' defensive curiosity. The former ARC turned a thunderous gaze toward Sheresh and Cody almost thought the news would send his brother into an apoplectic fit.

"You two made a deal with a bounty hunter_ who tried to kill Healer Marr_?" Fives' indignation truly knew no bounds; even Cody was mildly intimidated by the fury that raged across his brother's features.

"We needed information," Sheresh seemed to have had enough of Fives' defiance, as she stood abruptly up from her stool.

Her movement was so sudden, that she accidentally knocked over her seat. The stool's fall was muffled by the dirt floor underneath their feet, but it was still enough to make poor Numa jump and spill some of her milk. The young Twi'lek watched, wide-eyed and clearly frightened, as Sheresh and Fives stared each other down.

"In the time it took me to find Sheresh, form a plan, an' get a ship, y'all had practically disappeared," Rowin's back stiffened defensively and Cody was silently thankful that none of them were currently armed. "We ran across Jecks on Nar Shadda while we were tryin' to find out where maybe y'all had gone."

"I was able to…ah…" Sheresh hesitated and the pink of her ears deepened. "_Persuade_ Jecks to tell us some of his story…" the Mandalorian cleared her throat and her gaze turned toward Cody – the former commander didn't miss the curious inflection that she gave to the word "persuade", nor the fact that she seemed suddenly unable to look Fives in the face. "And he told me about his bounty here on Korynth – he claimed to have known you, Cody, though he didn't mention your name. Simply said he unexpectedly ran into a man he once called 'friend'. Claimed his fight with you – and the fact that you didn't kill him – made him reconsider the wisdom of his choices."

"Tay's the only reason I didn't kill him," Cody scowled and folded his arms across his broad chest.

Sheresh's words ignited a burning curiosity over Jecks' identity and the clone commander spent a silent moment trying to recall the rogue clone's name. If the bounty hunter claimed to know Cody – to have called him 'friend', once – then he had to be a brother that Cody knew well. The former commander recalled – in painstaking detail – the name of every man who had ever served under his command, or beside him in the course of the war. "Jecks" was not a name he knew and he was abruptly perplexed by the suggestion that Jecks might know more of him than Cody knew of the other.

Out of habit, Cody glanced over at Fives, as if silently seeking help in gathering his recollections, but he only met a mistrustful gaze. The former commander sighed and rolled his shoulders in a shrug.

"If Jecks claims to know who I was, then he holds a better hand than I. I've never served with a brother by that name," Cody paused, frowned, and chewed his lip thoughtfully for a moment. "So, unless the name is assumed, Jecks' claim is just another lie."

"Seems Jecks is good at tellin' tall tales," Rowin scratched behind one of his floppy ears and his blue eyes roved uncomfortably across the small group. "He had us fooled."

"I believed him," Sheresh admitted; she crossed her arms as well and leaned her hip against the edge of the table in an effort to shift weight off of her bad leg. "His story felt true at the time, but…well…" the blush across her face deepened and she still avoided Fives' eyes. "I suppose that was a miscalculation on my part."

"The deal?" Fives didn't seem impressed by the volunteered back story; he ground out his question through gritted teeth and his heated gaze seemed to bore right through Sheresh's forehead.

"He said he had accepted one last bounty –_ Kil's_ bounty, ironically enough. He justified his reasoning by claiming that he had not accepted the standing Imperial bounty. According to Jecks, an anonymous third party had contacted him and offered a double payment of Kil's bounty in exchange for her live capture and secure delivery to specific coordinates," Sheresh finally managed to look Fives in the face and the two stared each other down for a long, breathless moment. "It was sheer luck, Fi_'ika_, I swear," the earnestness in her face and voice piqued Cody's curiosity; it seemed, in that moment, as if there was more at stake for her in Fives' eyes, than just the validity of her story. "Our meeting with Jecks was random and I didn't expect him to have any interest in you and the crew. But, when he claimed to hunting Kil, I made him an offer."

Sheresh's expressive face twisted and the heart of her remorse played openly across her ruddy features. Misery echoed in the depths of her eyes and Cody – for one – was sufficiently convinced of her innocent involvement in the circumstances surrounding their current situation.

"When Rowin learned that Jecks was hunting Kil down, he agreed to my idea," for a moment, Sheresh shifted her attention toward the Lepi, who nodded slowly in silent confirmation. "I…ah...convinced Jecks to split the bounty with us," her blush darkened yet again and this time, Fives growled in what could only be interrupted as obvious disapproval. "We agreed that three were better than one and we parted ways from Nar Shadda. Jecks supposedly had two different leads on the_ Daa'sun's Kryst'shun_'s whereabouts. We took one and he took the other."

"That still doesn't explain why Appo's bloody flagship showed up on Ord Mantell," Fives' dark eyes flashed and Sheresh practically hung her head in shame.

"I didn't realize until _after_ our meeting in Worlport, that Jecks had abandoned his second lead," Sheresh addressed the top of the table, unable to look up at either Cody or Fives. "It was about the time that I realized he had followed us, that I also realized that the Empire had followed him. I tried to make contact with you as soon as I realized that we'd been double-crossed, but by then the Imps were already hot on your trail. Next thing I knew, news of your clash with Imperial fighters was all over the city. I heard from a source who had seen it first-hand, that it looked like the_ Kryst'shun_'s hyperdrive had been hit. Based on that, Rowin and I guessed that you'd be making your way here, to Anobis – Korynth was the logical destination.

"We left Ord Mantell as quickly as we could, in hopes of intercepting you in Korynth. I wanted to explain what had happened and we were both hoping we could help you all out of a tight situation. But, then…well…the Imps beat us here and you were captured and…" Sheresh seemed to have run out of words; she tapped the top of the table with a frustrated fist and lifted world-weary eyes toward Fives.

The look on his face could best be described as conflicted. Cody didn't necessarily agree with Fives' abundance of paranoia, but he could sympathize with the wariness that darkened his brother's face.

"We're pretty sure Jecks tracked us from a distance when we parted ways on Nar Shadda. An' we're pretty sure he sold all o' us out to Appo once we caught up with ya' on Ord Mantell," Rowin quietly spelled out the obvious and a heavy silence descended upon the cozy kitchen.

Several moments passed, before Fives finally broke the intense pall.

"You expect me to believe all of this? That you got sold out by another bounty hunter?"

"I don't expect you to_ believe_ anything, Fives," Sheresh retorted gently; she met his angry gaze and her own expression was surprisingly level. "But, we've told you the truth."

There was another solemn pause, during which little Numa slipped off of her stool and reached for Sheresh's hand.

"I believe you," the young Twi'lek directed her earnestness upward, toward Sheresh's guilt-ridden face. "You saved us and you brought us here," the youngling's explanation for her hope was simple, direct, and deeply profound. "You'll help make everything right again, won't you?"

Sheresh squeezed Numa's hand and for a moment, the hardened Mandalorian's voice broke under the strain of her conviction.

"Of course, Numa. If we can, we will," Sheresh lifted her eyes and looked Fives directly in the eye; even Cody could tell that his disbelieving brother was shaken by the raw sincerity of the moment. "I promise."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** _Aaaaand **A Thousand Suns** is off of hiatus! :) A little earlier than expected, in fact! Many thanks to all of you who have been patient with me; this last month has been rough and a lot has happened to suck my muse dry. Thankfully, I've made some tough choices and realigned my priorities...which means I will once again have time (and plenty of it) to work on **ATS** and other pursuits. ^^ Who knows? I might even pick up **Something Done Right** again - for those of you who have been waiting on my Canderous muse to hit again._

_Many thanks and much love to **Codywolf**, **reulte,** and **laloga** for reviewing - and, as always, to **laloga** for encouraging me to keep up with things. Thanks, also, to all of you who have favorited this story (and others) during my hiatus. I truly treasure everyone's support._

_Things _should_ start picking up in the next chapter. I'm sorry if things are progressing a little slowly right now - unfortunately (or, perhaps, fortunately) this arc is proving crucial in setting up the second half of this story and the stories to come. Trust me...the best is yet to come and the peace Cody and company have found for now is going to be quite short-lived. -_^_

_Love it? Like it? Hate it? Lemme know...!_


	16. Wisdom, Justice, & Love7

_"The __hope __of __a __secure __and __livable __world__ lies __with__ disciplined __nonconformists __who __are__ dedicated __to __justice, __peace __and __brotherhood."_

**Martin**** Luther**** King, ****Jr.**

* * *

><p>"Well, if we're gonna' set things right, then we've got some serious plannin' to do," Rowin broke the solemn silence that had fallen across the kitchen since Sheresh's unexpected promise to Numa.<p>

"If we're going to 'set things right', then we'll need to infiltrate Appo's ship," Cody rubbed his jaw thoughtfully – his mind was already racing through a hundred improbable solutions.

"Infiltrate?" Fives sputtered. "_Once_ on board the _Pro__Victoria_ was enough for me, thanks."

"How _else_ are we going to break Chiyou and Boil out?" Rowin waggled his whiskers in dissent. "Cody here has a point. If we're gonna' get 'em out, we've gotta' go in."

"There's _got_ to be another way," Fives shook his head in staunch refusal. "Once you enter Appo's territory, chances of getting out of his grasp aren't in your favor."

"But, _you_ managed it," Sheresh chimed in with her usual cutting perception; Fives scowled.

"With...help," he admitted gruffly.

"So, Korbin _was_ telling the truth?" Cody raised a skeptical eyebrow and called his brother out on his former denial.

The former ARC shifted uncomfortably and avoided Cody's gaze. There was a long moment of silence before he sighed heavily and threw up his hands.

"Yes! Fine! Korbin was _probably_ telling the truth. I had help from more than just him, though."

"Who else?" Cody leaned forward, eager to learn anything he could about any potential allies.

"Chopper and his old squad are on board as well. They run the galley," Fives finally met Cody's eye and the commander's eyebrows shot up toward his hairline in surprise. "Don't ask me how they did everything, though – they set it up and told me what to do. I just followed Chopper's orders. The trickiest part, honestly, was stealing an out-bound shuttle from the hangars."

Cody shook his head in amazement. He remembered Chopper – it was hard _not_ to – and he couldn't help but be surprised by yet another unexpected happenstance. Was _this_ what the Jedi called 'the Force'? This seemingly random series of events that came together at the right time and place? The thought was a little...unsettling. And, perhaps, a little too existential for Cody's simpler tastes. He moved on, unwilling to dwell too much on things best left to Jedi and mystics.

"Of all the troopers I expected to hear about..." he did share a little bit of his private thoughts.

The former commander laughed a bit then, and shared a look of partially amused amazement with his brother.

"Chopper, huh? No kidding?"

"You know him?" it was Fives' turn to be surprised.

"Yeah. Had an incident with his squad sergeant, Slick, early on in the war. Turns out Slick was feeding information to Ventress while we were on Chrystophsis; he tried to frame Chopper during my investigation into the matter," Cody reached up and rubbed a hand slowly over the top of his hair. "Chopper's the kind of character who'll stick in your memory. He was a little...off-kilter, even then."

"Well, he's still pretty 'off-kilter', but I'd say it turned out to be a good thing," Fives shrugged unapologetically. "His whole squad is assigned to permanent galley duty for being delinquent in their duties. Apparently, a few Jedi escaped Appo's grasp on their watch – funny thing is, Appo's not too bright. Instead of investigating their actions for possible defiance, he simply assumed they were dumb and lazy. Chopper's still got all four of 'em defying orders left and right – right underneath Appo's very nose."

"I'm not surprised," Cody really wasn't; it was consistent with what he remembered. "Chopper always was a strong-headed one. 'Deviant' is a good word for him – always has been."

"Like I said, it works in our favor now," Fives shrugged again and shifted in his seat. "I wouldn't be sitting here, if Chopper wasn't such a...a..." he paused, as if in search of the right word that, for once, wouldn't offend. "Well...aberration, I guess. You have to admit – he's a good brother. Damn good. I wouldn't be here without him," the ARC shrugged. "But...well...honestly? He's kind of a freak of clone nature, when you think about it."

"Who _isn't_, these days?" Cody muttered, mostly to himself.

"Those who still fight for the Empire," his brother shot back just as softly.

"Well...getting _off_ of the _Pro__ Victoria_ is probably a job for this Chopper and his squad. If they've done it once, then maybe they can do it again. But, getting _on..._?" Sheresh shook her bright head as she gently steered the conversation away from potentially dangerous waters. "Short of a miracle – or a total disaster – we'll need the help of someone like Korbin."

"Over my dead body." Fives growled.

"That's very well what it could take," Sheresh didn't skip a beat; Fives glared at her, but she feigned a very pointed disinterest.

"There's more to Captain Korbin than meets the eye," Rowin mused; Cody glanced over that the over-sized rabbit, intrigued by the Lepi's sudden thoughtfulness. "His reaction to Kil was..._enlightenin'_."

"What do you mean?" Sheresh beat Cody to the same question.

"He _recognized__ her_," Rowin's ears flattened against his skull in an emotion that Cody couldn't quite place.

"How do you figure that?" Cody titled his head to the side, puzzled by Rowin's conclusion. "She didn't seem to recognize _him_."

"Well, in case o' Kil, it might be entirely possible to recognize her without ever havin' _met_her," Rowin explained patiently. "She is..._was_...a twin, if you'll recall my tale from earlier. I've seen holopics o' her brother, Kian. For bein' opposite genders, they're surprisingly _identical_."

"Are you saying, then, that Korbin might have known Kil's _brother_?" even Sheresh gawked at the seeming improbability of what Rowin was suggesting

"The one killed on Medstar Five?" Cody jumped in for clarification. "The Main Order Jedi?"

"Yup, that one," Rowin paused just long enough in his train of thought to scoot off of his stool and make a beeline for the conservator. "I think those were Kian's lightsabers that he tried to give to Kil. I remember her sayin' somethin' once 'bout her brother teachin' her to duel with double 'sabers as padawans. 'Ccordin' to the story, Kian was the faster study an' ended up takin' the place o' an instructor, 'cuz he had a better way o' explainin' things."

"But...if those were Kian's lightsabers, then..." Fives frowned and scratched the stubble on the side of his face. "Wouldn't that mean he was on Medstar Five, too? Jedi don't part from their lightsabers unless they're _dead_."

"Or forgetful," Cody added quietly, remembering the many times he ended up chasing after Obi-Wan's errant lightsaber; the thought put a slight smile on his otherwise somber face.

"Kil told me that someone else came into Kian's room, just seconds after he was killed," Rowin's voice was slightly muffled, as he talked into the open conservator. "A trooper in green-striped armor. Killed the troopers who murdered Kian."

"Okay...but that could have been _anyone_," Fives was unconvinced. "What makes you think it could have been Korbin?"

"'Cuz Korbin is Force Sensitive an' Kil told me that the clone who came into Kian's room shut the door _with __a __wave __of __his __hand_ an' picked up Kian's lightsabers _without __bendin '__over_. He beheaded the other two troopers in the room with Kian's own weapons," Rowin popped his head back out of the conservator, having found what it was he was looking for.

The bi-ped space rabbit carried a large blue pitcher back to the table, with all the pomp of a triumphant hero. He picked up Numa's cup, then, and poured her a fresh glass of blue milk; the Lepi's thoughtfulness was touching and Cody watched as even Fives' face softened a bit in silent approval.

"I've been thinkin' 'bout it, an' I really think that Korbin might be Kil's mysterious avenger," Rowin settled himself back down on his stool and propped his elbows on the table. "Her stranger took Kian's lightsabers with him – an' then Korbin shows up and hands her _two_ lightsabers, claimin' that they 'belong to her now.' Seems to all add up, y'know?"

"I think you might be giving Korbin more credit than he's due. _You've_ never been in one of his interrogations," Fives remained firmly unconvinced; Rowin, on the other hand, seemed singularly unconcerned with the former ARC's reticence.

"He looked at Kil an' told her that she looked 'just like _him_'. Kil looks just like _Kian_ – one look at a holopic would settle that question," the Lepi shook his head and his floppy ears shifted in tandem with his striped head. "You can doubt if you want, Fives, but if Korbin knew Kian, then he's an ally."

"I'd love to know how you make that jump in logic," the clone didn't even try to hide his snort of contempt.

"Kil used to talk a lot about her brother, durin' the Wars. We're best friends – she's told me more than I think she's ever told another sentient. An' she told me on several occasions that she strongly suspected Kian of havin' taken a lover," Rowin stuck by his conclusion, as staunch as ever; he paused a moment for dramatic effect and the added, "A _clone_ lover. Likely suspect? His second-in-command, an _ARC_. _Like__ Korbin_."

_This__ has __certainly __been__ the __morning __of __perception-altering __revelations,_ Cody could only shake his head in silent amazement.

Rowin's deduction left everyone else suitably stunned, especially Fives, if the look on the ARC's face was anything to go by. Cody's brother shifted uncomfortably in his seat and for several long minutes, the only sound was that of Numa's empty cup, as she set it down on the table.

No one seemed to know how to pick the conversation up again, or how to direct it away from it's most recent deviation. Fives sat with his arms crossed and scowled at the scarred table surface; Sheresh had one hand curled around her empty mug, while the other played absently with the tip of her braid, which she had pulled over her shoulder. She sneaked the occasional thoughtful glance toward Fives and Cody was once again seized with a considerable curiosity about her and the ARC sitting next to him. Rowin quietly fussed over Numa, who seemed to enjoy the attention. Cody leaned his elbows on the table and turned over everything he had learned that morning; it was a lot of information to take in and he still wasn't sure what to think about half of it.

Their contemplative silence was short-lived, however. Without much warning, a short, slender, scrappy-looking brunette human marched into the kitchen and paused at the doorway with her hands on her hips. Everyone's attention turned toward her and the unfamiliar figure rewarded their attentiveness with a surprisingly sunny smile.

"Well! I see my trap worked!" she declared triumphantly; everyone gathered around the table just stared at her blankly.

"Trap...?" Fives frowned and glanced around, immediately on alert; the woman just laughed and continued her confident foray into the room.

"It never fails! Set a pot of caf early in the morning in a Mandalorian _vheh'yaim_ and you'll have a dozen willing conscripts within the hour!"

"Conscripts...?" this time, it was Cody's turn to question the stranger's intentions.

"Yup!" she declared stoutly, as she pulled a drawer completely out of the nearby counter and proceeded to set it firmly down in the middle of the table.

Cody and company stared stupidly at the array of cutlery and other unidentifiable kitchen paraphernalia that had been presented so boldly into their midsts.

"Did I miss something?" Cody cautiously eyed the particularly awe-inspiring cooking knife that the strange woman had just plucked from the midst of the cutlery drawer.

The knife in question was shorter than most standard cooking knives that he had ever seen, but no doubt just as sharp. It's bright steel blade was curved into a slightly half-moon shape that lead Cody to believe - after a moment's quiet puzzlement - that it was designed for peeling of some sort. The former soldier hadn't encountered any sort of kitchen duty as a commander, but he still had vivid memories of paring especially stubborn tubers in his days as a Kamino cadet. A quick glance over at Fives and then over at Sheresh seemed to confirm Cody's worst suspicion - peeling potatoes was apparently a universal punishment that transcended creed, rank, or culture.

"No, you didn't miss anything, Cody," Sheresh sighed as she propped her elbow on the table and cupped her chin in the hollow of her palm. "We just fell for the oldest Mandalorian matriarch trick in the book," the red-head's expression was a mixture of bemusement and chagrin.

"Huh?" Cody didn't even try to hide his confusion, as he looked from the drawer, to the grinning brunette in front of them, to Sheresh, and back again.

"Really, Dra_'buir,_" Sheresh sighed rather dramatically. "You lay this trap for us and then make me introduce you?"

"Oh, you're a theatrical one, aren't you, Sher'ika?" the one apparently named "Dra'buir" clicked her tongue, but her eyes twinkled mischievously despite her passing attempt at seriousness.

There was a brief pause, during which the woman in question pulled a number of knives out from the drawer and handed them to her still slightly shell-shocked "conscripts". To his deepest chagrin, Cody ended up with the one he strongly suspected of being a peeler; a sidelong glance to Fives for silent moral support only resulted in a passive roll of the ARC's broad, scarred shoulders and a look of equal confusion. The former commander couldn't help a sudden spike of petulance, when he noticed the chopping knife in his brother's hands.

Sometimes, it felt like every brother got dealt a better hand. Even in something as random as the assignment of a kitchen knife...

"I suppose that introductions _are_ in order, if we're the spend the rest of the day together," the cheerful announcement left Cody - and all of the others - sputtering incoherently in shocked dismay; they were very pointedly ignored with the sort of ease that only a mother could manage. "I'm Drali, Sol's wife," her voice drifted over her shoulder, as she rummaged briskly through the open conservator. "I know Sheresh and Rowin. But, I'm afraid circumstances have afforded me no opportunity to meet the rest of you."

She backed out of the conservator and closed the door with a swish of her narrow hips. Cody eyed her briefly - she was not quite what he had expected of a clan matriarch. Though, on deeper consideration, he realized that he didn't really know _what_ he had expected of a Mandalorian mother. Thanks to Tay, though, he had come to associate the role of a nurturer with a preconceived "type" - physically softer, certainly, than Drali, with a gentler manner and quieter ways. Sol's wife, however, was sharp and angular - which was not to say that she was unattractive, but she certainly had the look of one who worked hard to stay in top physical form. Her manner was mischievous, but it still carried the abrupt undertones that seemed universal among the Mando'ad - she was blunt and left little to misinterpretation.

Cody watched her thoughtfully, as she set an armful of vegetables down on the worn table top, her intention painfully clear. As unfamiliar as he was with maternal figures, he quietly surmised that there were just as many matriarchal archetypes as there were patriarchal. Some were kind, some were not. Some were gentle, others were hard. Some were soft, many were tough.

He wondered, briefly, what it meant for his relationship with Tay, if he had come to consider a "maternal archetype." His feelings for her were certainly not familial - at least, not in _that_ way - but he had come to perceive her as a nurturer, all the same. While he couldn't imagine the fugitive Jedi being even half as abrupt as Drali, Cody had very little trouble imagining Tay bringing a family together in her kitchen to cook a communal meal. She had certainly done so plenty of times already, with just him and Saa.

"I'm Numa," the young Twi'lek's soft voice was surprisingly animated for a youngling who had been reserved at best with her adult interactions so far. "Are we going to help you cook?" she shifted around on her stool, until she was kneeling on the flat top and leaning over the table in obvious excitement.

"Yes, you are," Drali nodded briskly, but her lips curled upward in a surprisingly soft expression. "We have a whole clan to feed and only twelve hours to do it in."

"A whole clan?" Fives lifted an eyebrow dubiously as he was handed an array of orange vegetables the length of his entire forearm.

"Well...in truth, our clan here isn't very big. But with you guests, that's a total of nearly twenty mouths to feed on short notice," Drali didn't seem at all bothered by the numbers, as she swiftly divided the pile of vegetables around the table. "Now...the two of you must be brothers of Kix and Rys," she paused, as she glanced briefly from Cody to Fives, her face suddenly thoughtful.

"Excuse me...'brothers of Kix _and_ Rys'?" Cody repeated slowly in no small amount of shock; he shook his head and blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "How many clones are you all hiding up here, anyway?"

"Just the five of you," Drali shrugged, as if playing hostess to five renegade clones was nothing particularly extraordinary.

Cody glanced over at Fives; even the paranoid ARC looked suitably impressed. The former commander watched as Fives glanced - almost guiltily - over at Sheresh. The expression on the half-Zeltron Mandalorian was smug, to say the least; Cody half expected her to tell him "I told you so". As it was, she mouthed it silently to Fives, who merely grunted under his breath and scowled at the innocent space-carrots patiently awaiting his chopping blade.

Cody then slid a look over at Rowin, who had been watching the exchange between Sheresh and Fives as well. The Lepi wiggled his whiskers, but said nothing. Cody turned his attention back to the rather grubby brown tubers that had found their way to the table space in front of him, but was distracted by the sharp tip of a knife that now waved threateningly under his nose.

"So, you two come with names? Or do I have to call you '_di'kut_ one' and '_di'kut_ two'?" Drali - and her knife - snapped the former commander's mind back to what was immediately important.

"Uh, no need," Cody cautiously raised a hand and gingerly put it between his face and Drali's over-enthusiastic blade. "I'm Cody."

"And you...?" the kitchen knife sliced authoritatively through Fives' space.

"Uh...Fives," the ARC's eyebrows knit together slowly, as he eyed Drali's wrist with the focus of a man who intended to break it if she didn't back out of his face.

The Mandalorian _buir_ paused for a moment, the tip of her knife just inches from Fives' nose. Her dark brown eyes were shrewd, as she seemed to take measure of the violence that coiled threateningly in the muscles around the ARC's shoulders. The two considered each other for the space of a breathless heartbeat, before Drali backed down and took her knife with her.

Cody couldn't be sure, it seemed almost as if Drali had been taking measure of Fives. What she was looking to weigh, he couldn't say, but there was something almost protective about the matriarch in that brief moment. Why Drali's interest was drawn to Fives, and not to Cody - or, to _both_ of them - the former commander couldn't even begin to fathom. But, he had a vague suspicion and his eyes followed Drali's as she glanced pointedly over at Sheresh. The two women said nothing - in fact, Sheresh didn't even look up from the table - but Cody feel the weight of Drali's consideration as the buir seemed to silently measure up whatever unspoken thing seemed to hang heavy between the ARC and bounty hunter.

"Well, welcome, Cody," Drali turned her attention back to introductions, as if nothing unusual had happened. "Fives," she nodded toward both of them in turn; a friendly smile graced her lips once again. "I'm sorry for springing a little Mandalorian domesticity on you, but it is customary for families and clans to throw a celebration at the birth of a child. Though, to be fair, the fuss extends to any new addition - be it by birth or adoption. Little known fact about us Mando'ad," Drali grabbed an onion from the pile in the center of the table and tossed it toward Rowin with a twinkle in her dark eyes. "We look for any excuse, really, to throw a party. Something about the juxtaposition of life and death - or something like that. If you want a philosophical explanation, I hear Par'jain's are good for that."

The matriarch winked cheekily at Sheresh, who laughed down at the table as she tried to focus on slicing a thick block of Duusha cheese.

"So, really, you've all picked an excellent time to visit a Mandalorian family, if you've never had the chance to see us up-close and personal-like," Drali abruptly handed her chopping knife to a startled Numa and started to move toward the pile of dirty dishes in the sink; she rolled her sleeves up as she spoke, her voice bright and clear in the early morning kitchen air. "You get to see us at our best - our best behavior, our best food, our best drink, our best music..." she leaned away from the sink and nudged Sheresh gently in the back. "We _do _get to hear our best music tonight, yes?"

"I would hardly call an archaic selection of Alderaanian folk songs our Mandalorian best -" the red-headed started to protest modestly, but Drali merely clucked her tongue, waved her hand dismissively, and insisted stoutly otherwise.

"Nonsense. I've heard you play, Shereshoy Par'jain. Your kitar is a sound for sore ears and an irresistible treat for the soul. If there isn't dancing tonight, I'll be shocked!"

Sheresh glanced shyly at Cody, then and Fives; her eyes lingered briefly on the ARC's face, despite his attempt to studiously ignore her gaze. Her face then turned a brighter shade of red than her hair and she ducked her chin toward her chest with a little smile that no one missed. Cody just looked over at Rowin, who shrugged, grinned, and heartily collaborated Drali's claim.

"Sheresh knows how to keep a party goin'," he wiggled his whiskers playfully and then turned his undivided attention toward the pile of innocent-looking vegetables awaiting their fate beneath his ever-twitching nose. "So...what are we s'posed to be makin' outta' all o' this, anyway?"

* * *

><p>Cody would remember the afternoon as one of the best - a lingering litany of hours, strung together with laughter, teasing, hard work, and good company. In fact, the only mar on the day that he would ever recall, was Tay's absence. Her presence would have made the day much richer; as it was, her absence made the day just a little bittersweet.<p>

He would remember those hours spent in Drali's kitchen, as the ones in which he made up his mind about his own tenuous future. All around him was warmth, belonging, and joy - all the things that he had ever wanted secretly. All of those things that Saa silently promised him, by standing quietly at his side and showing him the path of the Mando'ad. All of those things that were finally in his grasp, with a woman to call his own and a home to fight for.

Somewhere in-between watching Fives loosen up a bit and try to throw carrot tops down the front of Sheresh's open-necked tunic and the excitement of dousing the edges of Rowin's whiskers when they got in the way of him trying to light the stove, Cody decided that he did, in fact, want his own family. Not just family in the sense of a clan, but family in the sense of fathering his own children. In watching Tay swell with child, in raising his own younglings with her by his side, in guiding his offspring through their own _verd'goten_, in teaching them the ways of the Mando'ad and the way of the clone.

Cody soaked up the domestic bliss of the day, let it unravel the knotted stress in his shoulders, let it smooth the worry lines around his mouth and eyes. Members of the Kelborn clan drifted in and out of the kitchen throughout the day, bringing in news of other celebration preparations. Occasionally, they brought such preparations with them, as the kitchen became a central hub of escalating activity. At one point, even Saa ventured in, rolling a large keg of some sort of home-brewed beer in front of him with Ferro's quietly bemused assistance.

At other times, Tor swaggered in, his shoulders proudly draped with the carcass of some indigenous horned beast. Fives, especially, watched in amusement as the Zygerrian was then promptly shooed out of the kitchen at broom point, with the admonition that "he knew better than to bring undressed meat into _my_ kitchen!" Drali then explained - after peeking through the doorway partition to make sure that her sharp-eared son was out of hearing range - that Tor did in fact know better, but that he could never resist showing off the impressiveness of his kills.

Cody then learned that apparently, the horned beast that Tor had killed, was considered more impressive by the number of "points" on its "rack." This bit of enlightening - if confusing - verbage sent Sheresh into a fit of giggles, which earned_her_ a brisk smack across the back of the head with a damp dish towel and the stern chastisement to "get her mind out of the gutter."

From this, Cody determined that it was best to keep one's mouth shut around a Mandalorian matriarch. He grimaced at the sudden realization that - regardless of whether or not Saa adopted him - Hella was next in line for the leadership of Clan Par'jain. While Cody had some trouble imagining Hella in a kitchen, he had no difficultly imagining the pithy Togorian barking orders at full speed, regardless of her surrounding.

He then concluded that Mandalorian females were a force of nature that transcended personality, species, or marital status. Though, apparently, their sense of authority increased by the number of offspring under their roof... He hated to think of what the head of clan would be like in full pique. Most especially, a _feline__one._

Through all of the small dramas and constantly moving bodies of the kitchen, Drali directed her "minions" with well-practiced ease. Vegetables were peeled, nuts were chopped, dough was kneaded, dishes were washed, culinary catastrophes were avoided, whiskers were singed, pilfering hands were slapped, and praise was generously given for a job well done. Cody couldn't help but notice, however, that the focus of Drali's praise was a little pointed - though, he couldn't fault her for being slightly preferential in the enthusiasm of her accolades.

He, Fives, and Rowin, were praised - for sure - but often with a laugh, as if it was understood that not a single one of them really knew their way around boiling water. Rowin seemed to know a thing or two about how not-to-burn-a-rue, but Cody and Fives had to ask - amid much gaiety - what a rue _was_. Drali seemed most pleased when they successfully avoided chopping off their own fingers and stayed out of anything more adventurous than peeling jogan fruit by hand. Rowin was praised most especially for his ability to not light his fur on fire and Sheresh received very little verbal praise - though, she got many pats on the back or questions about how she might make something, which Cody learned was apparently universal female code for "you're doing a good job and you've earned a place in my kitchen."

The majority of Drali's extravagant praise, however, went to Numa, who was allowed to have a hand in just about everything (no matter that she accidentally dropped a bowl of sweet dough mix on the floor, or nearly singeing everyone's nose hairs by putting entirely too many spices in the already pungent_tiingilar_ meat mix). While her mistakes were certainly pointed out, the correction was gentle and easily smoothed by encouragement to do better, or to try something else. By mid-morning, the young Twi'lek was practically bouncing between the table and the stove, her eyes bright, and her smile wide enough to light up half of the _vheh'yaim_.

Seeing his young charge so confident of herself and so eager to learn, seemed to loosen Fives from the influence of some of his darker demons. By mid-afternoon, the still-shirtless ARC had eased into a more open stance, his shoulders barely tense at all and his gestures more friendly. For a while, Cody could almost imagine away the tell-tale scars on Fives' body and imagine that it was a much younger clone standing next to him, one that hadn't suffered through the hells of Order 66, or the agonies of Felucia, or the heart break of the Citadel, or the betrayal of Umbara.

For just a few passing hours, Fives was merely...Fives. And Cody, by extension, felt free to be himself as well. To be young; to_ act_ young.

For just a moment; for just a brief slip of time.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** _Never fear folks...no matter how long it might be between updates, Cody (and all these other motley characters) just won't let me give this story up. ^.^ This isn't a saga that's quick in the telling (by any means), but here it is...one slow chapter at a time._

_Thankfully, the next few updates shouldn't be so long of a wait. I already have one chapter hanging out with my Beta - the wonderful **LongLiveTheClones**, who was gracious enough to edit over things before I posted - and a third chapter is already in the works._

_And don't worry...we might be spending a lot of time with Clan Kelborn...but Cody's going to find his way back home to Tay eventually. He also keeps pestering me to get off my lazy duff and write, so he can be with her a little sooner than "eventually"... *sigh*_

_Any ways, there's my update for the day. Keep an eye on your inbox - more updates are coming!_

_Love it? Like it? Hate it? Lemme know...!_


	17. Wisdom, Justice, & Love8

_"Being __deeply __loved __by __someone __gives __you __strength, __while __loving __someone __deeply __gives __you __courage."_

**Lao ****Tzu**

* * *

><p>About half way through the afternoon, Drali shooed the males out of her kitchen. Everything that could be chopped, sliced, diced, stirred, and peeled had long since made its way into whatever dish it had been destined for from the beginning. Most everything for the evening's meal had been assembled. Pots were boiling gently on the stove; pans were sizzling gently with delicious bits of this and that; the double ovens were stuffed full of baking pans and casserole dishes. The table itself groaned gently underneath an array of yet more pans, pots, and dishes patiently awaiting their turn for either stove or oven. Several barrels of various alcoholic content were lined on a far wall and the whirl of bodies moving about the kitchen had settled into a quieter rhythm.<p>

Rowin seemed a little miffed about being asked to leave the kitchen, but Cody was more than happy to finally take his leave. Fives, too, seemed pleased with the chance to finally change out of his sleeping clothes. As the bustle of activity in the kitchen had slowed down, the tone of the conversation had become decidedly more..._female_-friendly. Cody, for one, was happy to take the cue and leave his female compatriots to their private world. To be fair, as he and Fives left, Drali and Sheresh were pleasantly bickering over the best way to field dress one of Tor's horned beasts - but the conversation was most certainly from a Mandalorian _and_ female point of view. The former commander was quite okay with admitting that maybe he had finally outstayed his welcome.

He and Fives walked down one of the halls of the _vheh'yaim_ in companionable silence. Being thrown into unfamiliar territory and forced to work through it together, had eased some of the hostility and uncertainty between them. At the very least, Cody didn't feel awkward walking along beside his "younger" brother, as he had when running for safety through Cree'dee's shell-shocked streets.

Their casual pace through the _vheh'yaim_ hallway lead them past several hide-covered doorways. As they passed one such doorway, the leather partition raised to reveal a bustling Kix. The medic jerked to a stop when he caught sight of his brothers over the top of the folded blankets he was carrying and his face lit up in a broad grin. Cody couldn't help but grin back himself - even Fives cracked a brief smile of wordless welcome. Before a conversation could be struck, however, another form - burdened down with a stack of sitting cushions - stepped out into the hallway after Kix. Orar's white hair was a dead give-away to his identity, even though half of his face was hidden by brightly colored fabric.

"Ah,I'm surprised Dra'_buir_ didn't wring every possible drop of usefulness out of the two of you," the pale Mandalorian's words were rather dry, but his light-colored eyes were teasing.

He did, however, turn abruptly around so he could steady the stack of cushions against the hallway's sturdy patched canvas-and-wood wall. The Arkanian huffed a little under his breath as he lifted a knee to hold the cushions in place and tried to readjust his grip around the awkward bundle.

"Need some help?" Cody stepped up to the young man's side and held out a willing hand.

Orar glanced over his shoulder and eyed Cody thoughtfully from head to toe. There was something in his eyes, but discerning the unusual Mandalorian's mood was practically impossible. The youngest Kelborn's eyes lingered briefly on the bacta patches that peeked through Cody's half-opened flight suit.

"It can often be insulting to offer unsolicited aid to a Mandalorian," Orar spoke honestly and Cody could feel his cheeks begin to burn in embarrassment. "However," the Arkanian's tone softened as soon as he noticed his guest's uncertainty. "You could help by grabbing more."

"This is the communal linens closet, basically," Kix piped up, noting the confusion on both Fives' and Cody's faces; the medic tilted his head toward the doorway next to them. "I think we're good on blankets, but we'll definitely need more pillows."

"Works for me," Fives moved immediately into action; he bumped shoulders with Cody as he passed the former commander and the ARC's brief grin was saucy.

Minutes later, Cody and Fives had been redirected from their original destination and were now following their hosts back past the kitchen toward the gathering room beyond. Cody was pleasantly surprised to find that the cushions were much lighter than they looked - which explained why Orar had been slightly aggrieved by his offer of help. The cushions were, however, rather awkward, stacked as they were rather haphazardly and not at all according to size or shape. Fives accidentally dropped his entire armload just steps away from the gathering room doorway, which prompted Kix to ask about his hand.

"Ah, it's okay," Fives rolled his naked shoulders as he knelt down to patiently stack the cushions up again.

"Were you chopping up vegetables with it in the kitchen?" Kix demanded wryly as he stopped just shy of the doorway and angled himself awkwardly in the hallway so he could look disapprovingly down on the kneeling ARC.

"A...little," Fives had the decency to look at least a _little_ abashed and Cody could have kicked his own self in the arse.

He had forgotten all about his brother's injury. Fives hadn't done much chopping with his wounded hand, but he _had_ done some lifting and had even helped Saa finish rolling a barrel of booze into one of the kitchen corners. Cody admitted as much to Kix, too - which earned him a bit of a dirty look from Fives that he pointedly ignored.

It wasn't the first time he had ratted one of his solders out to the medic when they had failed to take care of their own injuries. It also wouldn't be the last time - of that, Cody was quite sure.

"Fives, stop fiddling with those cushions and get your ass in there," Kix scowled and jerked his head toward the gathering room with the full force of his authority. "When I put these blankets down, you can help Orar drape them over the cushions. But so help me, if I see you - or _hear_ about you - doing any sort of moderate labor with that hand before it's healed, I'll strap it down in a sling!"

Fives grabbed two cushions just to spite Kix and stalked moodily past the medic toward the waiting Arkanian. The ARC kept his chin high and his gaze defiant, but just the tiniest hint of color high on his ears gave him away. Cody glanced over at Kix and chuckled - Fives might not like either them too much at the moment, but he would thank them later. Better to baby his hand now and have use of it later, than to be a fighter with a bum trigger finger.

It fell to Cody to gather up Fives' pile of discarded cushions, after he had set his own down in the appropriate spot beside Kix's stack of blankets. After bringing in all of the errant seating arrangements, Cody hung uncertainly by the gathering room wall and watched Orar bustle industriously about. The Arkanian was so particular about how to set up the room, in fact, that it was wasn't long before Fives and Kix joined him on the sidelines.

"Is he always like this?" Cody murmured under his breath as Orar pondered a few cushions and then kicked them into each other.

"Like what?" Kix raised an eloquent eyebrow.

"Well...like..." Cody paused, at a momentary loss for words, and puffed out his cheeks thoughtfully.

He didn't want to offend the proud Mandalorian any further, but he had to admit that Orar - with his willowy stature and fine skin - didn't exactly match the mold of a "typical" Mandalorian male. Not that Cody was all that certain of what constituted a "typical Mandalorian male"...though the likes of Saa, Tor, and Sol were closer to his own personal expectation. In some ways, _Sheresh_ was more "typical" than Orar, with all of his soft tones and physical delicacy.

"Well..." Cody realized that there really wasn't any "good" way to make his point, so he just shrugged and gave Kix a sheepish sort of look. "He's not really what I would have expected of a Mandalorian."

"Second that," Fives agreed sardonically, as he crossed his arms over his still-bare chest.

Kix was quiet for a few moments, as the three patiently watched Orar arrange the gathering room in preparation of the night's anticipated activities. Cody couldn't help thinking that the Arkanian was...well..._nesting_, for lack of a better term. It would have been funny even, if there wasn't a blaster on Orar's hip and a vibroblade in his boot.

Despite the weaponry, Cody had trouble trying to imagine the sinewy youth in Mandalorian armor - it was a curious image to resolve. His thoughts must have shown on his face, because Kix chuckled softly and shook his shaved head.

"Orar's not really what _anyone_ expects, I guess. But, then again, neither is Sol. Or even your Sheresh," the medic arched an eyebrow and shrugged. "There's as many different kinds of Mandalorians as there are members of any other culture in the galaxy. Not every Mandalorian is a fighter."

"It would be impossible for our culture to survive, if that were so," Orar startled all three clones by his abrupt entry into their conversation.

The Arkanian had apparently overheard them, as he walked around the curve of the rounded room toward their section of the wall. Cody felt his ears redden, but the young Mandalorian didn't seem at all offended by the suggestion that he wasn't what one would have expected in a culture of warriors. He knelt down next to Fives and carefully rearranged a blanket over several nearby cushions as he spoke.

"Actually, it would be more accurate to say that not every Mandalorian is a _warrior_. We are all fighters - we must all pass our own _verd'goten_ in order to be welcomed into the clans. But, just as the _jetii_ can be Knighted through the passage of different types of Trials, so an outsider can become one of the Mando'ad through a variety of _verd'goten_**.**"

Orar paused and leaned back on his heels. His brows furrowed, deep in thought, as he carefully considered the weight of his next words. When he spoke, he didn't look up at his companions, but stared straight ahead, past the wall in front of him, into a memory he could only convey in words.

"Arkanian offshoots often have genetic abnormalities. I myself have a heart condition - it is difficult for me to keep up with the physical rigor demanded by many Mando'ad. By the standards of many, I am 'delicate' - to the most extreme of our culture, like the Death Watch, I am a disgrace to be eradicated.

"But thankfully, that is only the opinion of a choice few," Orar reached up and tucked an errant lock of hair behind his pointed ear; Cody realized, for the first time, that the Arkanian was the first Mandalorian male he had met with long hair. "Even in culture of warriors, there is a place for those like me - I have proved my worth by being light of foot and sharp of ear."

The Arkanian then stood to his feet and his smile was almost feral. His blue eyes flashed and Cody finally saw the edge beneath the young male's seeming softness. Orar was _deceptive_ - a weapon of great power, in his own right.

"My _verd'goten_ was mostly accidental - but that has been known to happen. After being rescued by Sol'_buir_, it was Bev_'ba'vodu_ who realized that I have the gift of persuasion - much like your own Saa'_buir,_ Cod'_ika_," Orar inclined his head toward the clone in question. "Toward the end of the Wars, I was sent to Coruscant on my own, to see if it would be possible to find a voice within the Senate for the Mandalorians. While Clan Kelborn has wished no ill-will toward Duchess Satine's faction on Mandalore, it has long been felt that she did not represent the Mandalorian people as a whole. With the loss of our Mandalore at the First Battle of Geonosis, there was a growing concern among many of the more moderate clans to find a voice that could be heard politically."

Orar's smile widened when he saw the shock etched on Cody's face; the Arkanian even chuckled and shook his head gently. Like Sheresh, he braided his hair, and the thick plait swayed gently in time with his movements.

"You will find that there are many factions within the Mando'ad, _ner __vod._The loudest in recent history, however, have been the Death Watch and the New Mandalorians. They were so loud, in fact, that many of us felt that perhaps it was time to do what we had never sought to do before - to speak in the Senate and play our own hand in _aruetti_ politics. You see, the clans have been dying slowly - splintering in the loss of a Mandalor and struggling not to fall into the galactic fringe.

"What you see here," Orar turned and waved an expansive hand toward the gathering room. "Is rare, now, outside of Mandalorian worlds. There are Mandalorians scattered all over the galaxy, but since the tragedy of Galidraan, so many Mando'ad have become loners - forsaking clan and family, like the Fetts," the Arkanian's face twisted as he said the name and Cody realized that his progenitor - for having been Mandalor - hadn't been the most popular by virtue of his ill-fated choices. "Driven by greed and credits, instead of by a great culture that has withstood bravely in the face of all the ages.

"In retrospect, I'm not sure how we could have thought that making a voice for ourselves in the Senate would have made a difference. But, we were desperate for solidarity. Clans Kelborn, Par'jain, Jendri, Cadera, and Spar convened on Ordo - on the offer of Clan Ordo, who supported our cause - and selected me as a tentative representative for the Senate. I was to speak to certain Senators and find out if we would even be _allowed_to speak - if not, then it was my duty to convince the Senate to let the voice of potentially Republic-friendly Mando'ad be heard against the clamor of the New Mandalorians, the Death Watch, and the Separatists.

"Order 66 happened before any of this could be put into motion - I had managed to speak with Senator Amidala of Naboo and Senator Dur of the United Anobis Coalition and had gained their endorsement to address the Senate as a whole. But, when Coruscant erupted into chaos, I was by myself, just outside of the Senate building."

Orar's eyes had gone distant again and his hands clenched against his thighs. Cody leaned his back against the wall and listened intently - this was a side of Order 66 that he had never heard before.

"Order 66 was my _verd'goten_**.** I did not _fight_ my way out of Coruscant. I _talked_ my way off-planet and though I had arrived alone weeks before, I escaped the chaos with _four_. I found Rys, wounded, as he tried to defend two _jetii_ younglings caught outside of the Temple grounds. I also saved a Mirialan smuggler, who was unjustly profiled because of his natural Force Sensitivity. I never once fired a blaster, I never once engaged another sentient in combat, I never once ran. It was my calm under pressure and my ability to save four separate lives - one of whom was Mandalorian by blood - that earned me the right to join the ranks of the Mando'ad.

"As such, as a Mandalorian, I am a diplomat. A politician. A scholar of moderation and intrigue. Some would call me a spy. Since Order 66, I have been to many planets, listening for the truth and learning much about the true nature of the Empire. I am rarely home and I am here now only because I came back from a place I cannot name, to bury my _vod_. Yes, I am delicate and it is true that I rarely wear my armor. But, I fight for the Mandalor, for my people, in my own way. Our new Mandalor - Fenn Shysa - has studied much in the ways of war. As we speak, he wages a war on Mandalore against the Empire and he knows that it is a war that cannot be won without _spies_. More specifically, without _Mandalorian_ spies."

"I didn't realize the Mandalorians were so...complex," Cody murmured, awed by the story that Orar had shared.

While there many details that the Arkanian had clearly glossed over - especially about what _exactly_ happened the night of Order 66 - it was clear that he was male of great passion and talent. It was also quite clear that, despite his seeming peculiarity when contrasted with the stereotypical Mandalorian, Orar had a definitive place among the culture that had claimed him.

"As with any culture, we are _extremely_ complex. Over the millenia, the Mando'ad have discovered that while it is possible to create a culture consisting entirely of warriors, it is _not_ possible to expect every warrior to fight the same way. We are a culture of mothers, spies, armorers, snipers, infantrymen, pilots, smugglers, bounty hunters, elders, younglings, brewers, story-tellers, doctors, merchants, scouts, and politicians. Any one of us, regardless of who we are, are capable of fighting for our culture - but not all of us do so with blasters blazing in military precision. We _are_ a military force - the Mando'ad have always been such – but as you yourself know, no military can be entirely comprised of ground fighters. It takes many types and many talents to create a cohesive military force - and it is this aspect of our culture that we are trying so desperately to reclaim."

"Why is reclamation needed?" Fives tilted his head to the side in curiosity; he still had his arms folded over his chest, but Cody could tell, despite his judgmental stance, that his brother was genuinely interested in the turn of conversation.

"The Battle of Galidraan destroyed many of the Mandalorian clans - in a single battle, nearly half, if not more, of every major clan was killed. Some of the smaller clans were wiped out entirely. Our culture has struggled ever since then - especially since many Mandalorians began to feel that having families was irresponsible in a galaxy where whole clans could be wiped out so easily. Political backlash from the events of Galidraan - especially against the Jedi and the Republic - have colored much of our culture since then. Galidraan prompted extreme pacifism in some - leading to the rise of the New Mandalorians. It prompted extreme hatred in others - hence, the Death Watch.

"A rapid succession of Mandalors has come about as a result of the political divides. Jaster Mereel was killed by a leader of the Death Watch, which lead to Jango Fett's rise. Fett, however, was rather lacking in his role as Mandalor in the opinion of many, and his unexpected death at Geonosis created a void. A clone actually stepped up to fill his place - a rogue ARC named Spar - and he was Mandalor briefly during the Wars. But, his stance was with the Separatists, a decision influenced by a mistrust of the Republic. While Mandalorians as a whole have traditionally sided against the Republic, there have always been those clans who sought to support it. Ordo, Kelborn, Cadera and Par'jain have always been traditionally pro-Republic - mostly, because we have always managed to be in a unique position to observe the greater dishonor of the opposing sides.

"Interestingly enough, Clans Ordo, Kelborn, Cadera, and Par'jain have been the most 'traditional' in our adherence to the _Resol'nare_and our interpretations of what it means to be truly Mandalorian," Orar concluded thoughtfully as his eyes danced from Kix, to Cody, to Fives. "We seek to build our families, and through our families, our culture. History shows us that any force aligned with an 'Empire' has usually been tricked; the same could be said of many Separatist movements. We have flourished most when aligned with the Republic, as it is the Republic that usually leaves us alone to raise our families in peace. There will always be three kinds of Mandalorians, however - those who see the way of the Mando'ad as a path to military power, those who see the way of the Mando'ad as a path to fame and fortune, and those who see the way of the Mando'ad as a path to honor.

"You will also find," Orar's voice carried with it the complete conviction of a man who stood firm in the virtue of his beliefs. "That it is the Mando'ad who seek _honor_ first above all else, who have the most room in their clans for those like Sol'_buir_, and Sher'_ika_, and _me_."

* * *

><p>Cody pondered Orar's revelations as the late afternoon slowly gave way to early evening. He also started looking at the Mandalorians around him in a new light. Suddenly, it didn't seem quite so strange for Sheresh to march past him in the hallways with a bright smile, a beautiful face, and a noticeable limp in her step. He didn't think it quite so strange that a man in a powerchair could be one of the <em>Cuy'val Dar<em> - _especially_ not when he was called outside to watch an impromptu shooting contest between Saa, Sol, Ferro, and Fives.

Saa, Ferro, and Fives jockeyed for their respective places. But Sol? Sol won every round with practiced ease, his familiarity with every weapon as natural to him as if they were all extensions of his own hands.

Orar's place as a diplomat was settled once and for all, when Cody saw the Arkanian talk his temperamental niece and nephew out of fighting over a toy. And, his place as a spy, when he swiped a whole keg out of the kitchen for 'pre-party tasting'. _And_ as a politician, when he made a convincing case for allowing a visitor into the family celebration who was not normally associated with the Mando'ad.

The role and place of a Mandalorian suddenly seemed more open to individual interpretation - an interpretation that promised the hope of a new identity for _any_ sentient, no matter his past, no matter her talents. It was comforting to Cody, to finally realize that Saa had truly meant what he had said all along - that the _Resol'nare_ was open to a wide variety of translations and that no one ever again expected him to be a clone of someone else.

Before meeting the members of Clan Kelborn, before talking to Orar, Cody had feared in his heart of hearts that he was just trading one blind servitude for another. Perhaps that was why Saa hadn't rushed to adopt Cody just yet; as time unfolded, the former commander saw farther beneath the Mandalorian armor, into the customs of a more richly diverse culture than he would have ever guessed. He also began to understand why, perhaps, Mandalorians allowed certain reputations to precede them, without fighting the stereotypes that even he had so blindly believed.

_Verd __ori'shya __beskar'gam_. A warrior was, indeed, far more than his armor, but as Cody was beginning to find out, what lay beneath was almost always a closely guarded secret. To the Mandalorians who still followed the _traditions_ of the _Resol'nare__,_family was sacred. _Vecuyan_'s gathering room was as close to a temple as any Mandalorian would get and it was a closely guarded inner sanctum.

Cody couldn't blame them - he had seen, first hand, what lay out there in the wider galaxy beyond. He had seen the evils of the Empire, the destruction of the Republic. He knew the toll that war, death, famine, and disease could take. He knew only too well that even warriors without a home, longed for some quiet place to protect, to cherish, to fight for.

_This_ , he realized, was what the Mando'ad fought for - what they had _always_ fought for. They fought for their way of life, for their families, for the moments of peace that they could steal between moments fraught with terror. Inside of the _vheh'yaim_, inside of the home, only those who had been selected to 'stand guard' for that day wore armor - others were allowed to rest, allowed to show their true bodies, allowed to show their faces. Even Kix and Ala wore weapons strapped to their thighs, but for their knives or blasters, most everyone moved freely in "civilian" attire. Inside the sanctuary of their wooden walls, they were allowed to simply _be_ - free to enjoy the comfort of being safe, of being _hom__e_ .

He could also understand why there were so many Mandalorians who had chosen to forgo the more traditional lifestyle that he saw presented within the Kelborn's "_Vecuyan_." When he thought of building something similar with Tay - a home, with children and brothers - his heart felt heavy at the knowledge that, more than often, he and any brothers who lived with him, would be called to travel beyond the boundaries of their future lives. For there was the Empire - a constant threat to all of them. There was the Mandalor and his war. There was the need to make a living, to find some way of making the credits necessary to _support_ a family.

This, Cody realized, as the sun began to set and everyone began to settle down in the gathering room, was the heart of the Mandalorian - always divided, always torn, between family and the duty to protect their way of life.

Cody also recognized the wisdom of Saa's seemingly inexhaustible patience. To be Mando'ad was an honor and a great responsibility. For as much as Cody wanted to belong to something greater than himself, he was also in no great rush to commit himself just yet.

There was still so much more to see, so much more to learn. There was a great decision ahead of him - of that he was certain. And, he was wasn't yet sure if having the heart of the Mando'ad was worth the many sacrifices of wearing the armor.

* * *

><p>"I swear, I'm going to knock his teeth in," Fives' sour vow earned him an rather alarmed look by both Cody and Rowin, who were sitting on opposite sides of the ARC.<p>

"Come again?" Cody asked blankly; he glanced down at the cup in his hand.

Cut off as he was from alcohol because of his former addiction, he had been making due through the night with generous amounts of home made shuura cider. This was his fourth cup of the sugary stuff and for a moment, he had to wonder if someone had accidentally spiked it, because Fives' abrupt commentary made absolutely _no_ sense.

"Mr. Smooth-talking Smuggler over there," Fives jerked his chin toward the male in question, his lips pressing thinner in disapproval.

"What about him?" Cody glanced over at the Mirialan smuggler who Orar had introduced earlier as 'Kar'eth Kaarz'.

Kar'eth was apparently a bit of a novelty among the gathered Mando'ad. He was not Mandalorian – by blood _or_ adoption – nor was he in any way interested in ever _being_ Mandalorian. His only association to the clan was through Orar – Kar'eth was the smuggler the Arkanian had mentioned earlier to both Fives and Cody, as the one who had helped him get off of Coruscant after Order 66. As such, 'Kar' had earned an honorary place in Clan Kelborn's esteem, for having saved one of their own, having saved two younglings (it didn't seem to matter to anyone at all, that the younglings had been Jedi padawans), and having saved a clone. Now that Rys was Mando'ad, the debt was considered doubled – and since Kar had also been the one responsible for providing the means of bringing Sol's eldest son's body home, Orar's argument to allow the smuggler to participate in the family's celebration had not been a hard one to make.

Cody hadn't noticed anything particularly offensive about the smuggler, himself. In fact, the Mirialan was quite the life of the party. He had been bantering back and forth with Sol and Saa all night, had said at least one outrageous thing to make all of the females giggle behind a hand, and had narrowly missed losing half of his arm after being caught counting cards in a game of pazaak with Tor. All in all, he seemed to be fairly typical of any smuggler Cody had ever met before – cheeky, irreverent, larger-than-life, and calculatingly mischievous. His antics were generously overlooked and for that, Kar seemed more than willing to make his Mandalorian hosts laugh at his own expense (cheating on Tor notwithstanding).

"He's been hanging on Sheresh all night!" Fives' expression was thunderous.

"So?" Rowin piped up, his twangy accent even thicker now that he'd had several drinks himself. "Not like you're plannin' on burrowin' in her nest."

Cody looked over Fives' head and mouthed the words 'burrowing in her nest' with a mixture of amusement, disbelief, and genuine confusion. He wasn't certain, but Rowin's turn of phrase was quite possibly the worst euphemism he had ever heard – if, in fact, that was what it was. Cody wasn't quite sure.

"Yeah," Rowin returned Cody's look with one of his own that clearly stated his belief that the clone was a few spanners short of a hyperdrive. "Y'know…female rabbits make nests? Male rabbits go an'…y'know, never mind," the Lepi waved a paw dismissively at Cody with a long-suffering sigh. "Go practice makin' kits wi' yer Jedi a few more times. Maybe ya'll get it then."

"I don't recall practicing to make much of anything," Cody replied stiffly; Rowin shot him a rather sardonic sort of look.

"Did ya' use protection?"

Cody blinked for several times, stunned. However, Fives was completely disengaged from the conversation, so he couldn't be counted on as any sort of back-up and Rowin had a smug sort of look on his furry face that demanded some sort of response. Before Cody could think up a witty retort, the space-rabbit rolled his blue eyes and shook his floppy ears.

"Yer silence condemns ya'. Trust me," the Lepi turned his attention back to his beer-filled mug. "No protection? Ya"re askin' fer kits."

Cody had a sudden, and rather visceral, realization. What if Tay…

Before he could finish that thought, Fives snarled and shifted restlessly on his cushioned seat.

"I mean, look at the greasy nerf-herder! He's practically drooling down her cleavage!"

"And from where I'm sitting, she doesn't seem to mind," Cody glanced over at the cozy pair in question and rubbed the space between his eyes; Fives was seriously starting to get on his nerves, mostly because Cody couldn't figure his motives out at all. "Give it up, Fives. He's probably more fun to be around, anyway. You _did_ try to kill her and she _did_ shoot your hand. Or don't you remember that?"

Fives muttered something indistinct, but he flopped back against his cushion and focused his glare at the ceiling. Grateful for the reprieve, Cody turned his attention back toward the festivities in full swing all around him.

There was talking, laughing, eating, and drinking – all in copious and fast-paced amounts. In some ways, the last two hours had gone by in a whirl of bright colors and louder voices. From what he could gather, however, the excitement and activity was just the preliminary – none of the main dishes that he had helped prepare earlier had been served just yet, and he had been duly informed that 'the party doesn't really start until Sheresh brings out her kitar.' The half-Zeltron had laughed at that and had been quick to set the record straight: the party didn't start, until the new family finally graced them all with their presence.

No one had specified when that would be, however, except that the new family's arrival rested solely on the discretion of the mother. For the most part, no one seemed to be in a rush and the festivities unfolded at a pace that was both informal and natural. Cody, for his part, had enjoyed the chance to relax without any sort of impending urgency. He had also enjoyed sitting back and watching the dynamics of the varied sentients around him; the Kelborns made for generous, if raucous, hosts and a general sense of good humor prevailed over the gathering room.

"Huh. Don't look now, Fives, but Mr. Kissy-Face over there is going in for the kill," Rowin observed with seeming nonchalance and Cody fought the urge to reach over and box the Lepi on the ears.

As it was, he glared at the grinning mischief-maker's audacity; Fives practically shot up out of his seat. The ARC's eyes were blazing and his one good fist was already clenched for a preemptive strike.

"Cut back your thrusters, Fives," Saa's voice cut through the impending drama like the crack of a whip. "You'll wake the baby."

At the mention of 'baby', the whole roomed froze. (Cody noticed, with a stifled sigh, that Rowin hadn't been pulling on Fives' bizarre jealous streak without cause – Kar's face was inches away from Sheresh's now-turned cheek and the smuggler did indeed look like a male who had been interrupted in the pursuit of a kiss). Even Fives' indignation was arrested, however, as an unfamiliar female stepped slowly into the gathering with a tiny bundle clasped to her chest. An intimately familiar form followed, with a proud grin that light up the entirety of his face.

In that moment, as Cody looked into Rys' glowing face, he knew the truth – a Mandalorian's home and family was worth every sacrifice necessary to defend it.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** _Once again, many, many thanks to LongLiveTheClones, who Beta'ed this for me. :) *glomps LLTC*_

_I realize that I'm taking a lot of "liberties" with the Mandalorian culture, but I feel just a wee bit entitled to it for a few reasons. One, I've done a lot of research on them - I'm known in most of my Star Wars groups as the one resident Fandalorian that everyone not only tolerates, but also likes. I've had a lot of discussions about Mandalorian culture (and various interpretations of it) with my fellow Mandalorian Mercs and I've played Mand'alor on several RPG sites around the interwebs. I'm also writing about the Mandalorians from the perspective of a military veteran and as a military spouse. I'm as much for Mandalorian bad-assery as the next person...but I often feel that they are not really portrayed in a realistic light most of the time by us fans. So, that's one of the reasons why I've been spending so much time on this arc - this has been my little exploration into the "heart and soul" of the Mandalorians...which, as even Orar admits, would be different for nearly clan. You'd have your Skiratas...your Vaus...your Priests...your Viszlas...your Fetts... But I think there's just as much room for the Kelborns and the Par'jains, too. It's really all about how you look at them and how you as the writer might interpret the Resol'nare._

_I'd be interested in hearing about what you, Dear Reader, think of my portrayal of the Mandalorians. I sort of feel like maybe I'm going on too much of a limb...but I just really don't think it would be realistic to expect every individual Mandalorian to be like Jango/Boba Fett, or every clan to be like Skirata..._

_Any ways! There's my soapbox for the day. And **two** updates in one day! Surely, I spoil you all. :-p_

_Love it? Like it? Hate it? Lemme know...!_


	18. Wisdome, Justice, & Love9

_"Be __happy.__ It's __one__ way __of __being __wise."_

**Sidonie**** Gabrielle ****Colette**

* * *

><p>"Commander Cody!"<p>

Maybe it was because of the jovial nature of the meeting, but Rys' enthusiastic greeting was the warmest Cody had encountered yet from a fellow clone. The former commander watched in surprise, as his brother strode confidently across the room toward him. A one-time member of the Coruscant Guard, Rys had been one of Thire's "boys". This would have usually meant that Cody wouldn't have ever really interacted with him, since the former commander's visits to Coruscant were rare to begin with and if he did ever associate with the Guard, it was usually only with those under Fox's command.

But, Rys and Cody had met a few of the times that Obi-Wan or some senatorial type had needed escorts to and from the Temple and the Senate. Cody had liked the man - which was more than could be said for many of the Coruscant Guard under Thire or Stone's command, who could often be a little condescending. Rys had always been professional, punctual, and polite - he had also exhibited quite a keen interest in the events unfolding in the Outer Rim and had been able to carry on an intelligent conversation. Rys had always impressed Cody as being a competent, dependable, intelligent, _likeable_ soldier.

"It's good to see you here, sir," the newly-minted father squatted down against his heels and held out his hand toward Cody.

There was respect in the brother's eyes, but there was no longer the deferential politeness of rank between them. Rys held out his hand as an equal and Cody knew what had made him bold, what had made him into a man who carried himself in the security of his authority. _Beskar'gam_ bracers cupped the curves of Rys' forearm and blasters hung securely at each hip.

Rys had joined the Mando'ad, married into the clan, and fathered a child to it. In Cody's humble opinion, the former trooper was now his own equal and far more. A brief smile curved the corners of Cody's lips as he reached out and grasped Rys' arm firmly, in the manner that he had seen Saa do on multiple occasions.

"It's good to see you alive," Cody asserted with genuine conviction; even in his days of drunken, drug-induced hazes, he had wondered about what had happened to those brothers he had met and served with during the Wars.

He remembered every name, every face. He remembered that Rys had always hero-worshiped him in a way. It had always been an honor for the trooper to sit with the once-famous commander in the course of their duties and to ask him questions. It had always been an honor for Cody to sit with Rys and be reminded that the sacrifices made on the Outer Rim were not forgotten by those who served safely behind the lines.

"Same to you, sir," Rys grinned, but there was a somber glint in his eyes that belied his own private concerns about those he had left behind.

The two grasped each other's forearms tightly and Cody felt the old comfort of brotherhood in a way he hadn't felt since Order 66. Rys was truly the first clone who had greeted him as a welcome reminder of the past. Korbin had been borderline hateful, Fives had been hostile, Ferro had been passively neutral, and even Kix, while accepting, had kept a respectful distance reminiscent of their former ranks. Rys _smiled_ and turned to introduce Cody to his glowing wife, Candeera, and to their as-yet-unnamed baby girl.

Rys was _glad_ to have him there, relieved to see that Cody was still alive and in the flesh. The former commander realized that if Rys had escaped at Order 66, then he would know nothing of Utapau - he would know nothing of what Cody had become, of how hard the former commander had fallen. And, because of that blissful ignorance, Rys still respected him, still looked up to him.

It was a humbling thing to realize that there were still brothers who were willing to trust him, still willing to defer to him, still willing to remember him as the soldier he had been.

There was a pile of empty cushions next to Cody; Rys and his family chose to sit there, next to the one-time commander. Cody glanced nervously over toward Sol and the burly Mandalorian was now watching him with a thoughtful, calculating expression on his dark face. Rys was saying something about Cody's character by sitting next to him - though Cody didn't think the effusive brother meant anything intentional by his choice in seating arrangements, the choice had still earned him a silently shifting regard in the respect of Clan Kelborn. He glanced nervously at Saa, who merely offered him the ghost of a smile and nodded once as if to say, "accept the honor."

Now that the guests of honor had arrived, dishes from the kitchen began to make their appearance. First came _tiingilar,_ but in smaller portions than before - it was presented almost as an appetizer, a culinary status that was confirmed by Sol.

"Just a little bit, to cleanse the palate and clear our heads of all the good beer we've been drinking," the Kelborn patriarch winked, as he took a small dish of the spicy casserole and savored it with obvious enjoyment.

_Haarshun_ bread and red gourd soup was next, followed by an overwhelming array of dishes from every home world represented in the gathering room. Fives was an enthusiastic fan of the dark, thick Alderaan stew, which was made with a heavy beer, salted meat, and canned winter vegetables. Cody was rather enamored by the chili dumplings, which were served by themselves with a spicy sauce in the traditional Anobian manner. Rowin, however, thoroughly enjoyed his Zygerrian-style kommerken steak, which had been broiled in a rich mixture of herbs and butter.

There were Twi'lek curries, Koruun casseroles, Arkanian pastas, and Zabrak sweet breads. Dra'_buir_ even presented Rowin with a plate of pickled nerf hocks - a delicacy, apparently, on his own home world. Lorrdian "rock candies" were a big hit with the youngest members of the celebration, though little Ven fell asleep against her father's shoulder before she could eat enough candies to make it to a sugared second wind. Her brother had however, which lead the youngling to pick a mock wrestling match with Tor. The muscular Zygerrian, in a rare show of indulgence, let the diminutive Zabrak "pin" him to the floor to the amusement of all.

Numa sat quietly in between Drali and Ala - the older Twi'lek was lightly brushing something over Numa's lekku that made the faint stripes on her skin stand out in a soft shimmer. Cody arched an eyebrow and glanced over at Fives, whose attention had been appropriately redirected when his young charge had chosen to sit with strangers. Cody was surprised to see that a thoughtful look had crept into his brother's dark eyes; when the ARC realized he was being watched, the look faded abruptly and he shrugged his shoulders gruffly.

"She's growing up," despite his shift in body language, there was no hiding the wistful quality of his voice.

"What's Ala doing?" Cody asked innocently.

"Some sort of Twi'lek beauty...thing..." Fives fumbled for the right words; he shrugged his broad shoulders as if to admit that the ways of females were beyond him. "We visited a port once and there was a beauty vendor offering to do it. Numa begged Boil, but he wouldn't budge. Said she wasn't old enough," the ARC turned his head away as if to hide the sudden regret in his face. "Guess she is, after all."

Cody turned his head and glanced at Rys, who now had a little female of his own. The former Guardsman just grinned and shook his head; he shot a fond glance at Candeera and then down at the tiny newborn that was nursing quietly at her mother's breast.

"Guess we'll cross that bridge ourselves, one day," Rys couldn't hide his goofy, lopsided grin; Candeera chuckled herself and spoke for the first time.

"If she's anything like her father, she'll think 'beauty' is well-polished armor," the half-Lorrdian, half-Koruun's voice was husky for a woman, but light.

The two shared a smile and Rys leaned over to kiss his wife impulsively on the lips. He lingered there and Cody looked away, feeling something like a voyeur. He longed for Tay in that moment - for her soft lips and softer body - and his eyes slipped back, unbidden, toward the nursing baby.

She had skin the color of sun-kissed Dathomir amber - a soft, gently-tinted mixture of her mother's caf-and-cream tones and her father's natural tan. Her tiny head was already covered with a downy plethora of wispy black hair; Cody wondered if the youngling would have her mother's hazel eyes or the darker eyes of a clone.

She was slight and delicate, nestled protectively within the sinewy strength of her mother's bare arms. Rys sat strong and proud next to them both; his eyes rarely left the sight of his daughter falling asleep with her tiny rosebud mouth still latched around her mother's nipple. In a way, the sight was provocative, but on a level far too primal to be sensual. It was love, and yearning, and tenderness, and improbability - it was all of life's turbulent creations distilled into one tiny form, one magnificent miracle.

At Candeera's subtle, non-verbal request, Rys reached over and gently pulled his daughter away from her abandoned meal. Her mother efficiently covered herself in a brisk, no-nonsense manner that left very little doubt in minds of any one watching that she was a mother giving sustenance to her child and proud of the role she played as such. Rys cradled his daughter in hands that Cody had seen hold a weapon with just as much confidence; it was a strange juxtaposition to see.

Rys was a clone - once one of Coruscant's finest. He was still, very clearly, in perfect fighting form, as muscular and masculine as ever. His daughter lay cradled against his bulging bicep and just one of his big hands engulfed her tiny form with ease. In that moment, though, he was not a fighter, but a _father_ - gentle in a way that Cody had never before seen in a fellow clone.

The former commander looked down at his own hands. What would it be like to hold a youngling in his scarred hands – to hold _his_ youngling? Would a child of his inherent Tay's beautiful white locks, or his own coarse, black hair? Perhaps a mixture of both? He had heard or read somewhere once that half-Miralukans were often born blind - born with eyes, unlike one parent, but unable to see, like the other. Cody wondered what color his child's eyes would be - dark like his? Maybe blue, like he imagined Tay's would be, if she had any. Would he have a boy, or a girl? Would it matter to him?

It didn't seem to matter to Rys. The persona of a clone was so seeped in masculinity, in maleness, that it was almost _more_ of a miracle to have a half-clone _daughter_. Would she grow up strong and stubborn, like her father? Would she have his broad shoulders, his fighter's rangy body? Would she bring her own beauty to a form that was only all too familiar to the galaxy? Would she bring a softness, a gentleness, to a gene pool that had been far too often associated with death and darkness?

What would _he_ do with a daughter? With a son? Cody could barely imagine what it would be like to be a father. Yet, it had been the secret longing of many clones - it had often been _his_ secret longing. Cody watched the sleeping babe thoughtfully and tried to imagine what it would be like to hold his own child so confidently against his body.

Light, gentle music drifted slowly over the moment and Cody looked up to see Sheresh strumming a large string instrument that she held propped up between her shoulder and her thigh. Food and drink still made its way around the room, but the boisterousness of earlier had abated slightly. The half-Zeltron was watching the baby as well, the expression on her face unashamedly wistful as her fingers danced in confident familiarity over the stringed "neck" of her kitar.

A sleepy, almost contemplative mood had fallen over the gathering room, but Cody could sense an undercurrent of tradition and expectation. A large bowl was making it rounds and the scent of salt and butter mingled in the air with the music. Everyone took a handful of something out of the bowl and when it made it around to him, Cody realized that it was full of something white, fluffy, and crispy.

"Popped dust corn kernels," Kar piped up; a cheeky smile brightened his dusky-green complexion. "A Mirialan treat."

Cody took a handful and passed the bowl on - the delicate stuff crunched together under his fingers and the clone took a moment to consider what he held. An investigative nibble revealed that the treat had very little flavor in and of itself, but it had a good crunch, and had been seasoned well with a mixture of melted butter and sea salt. He also realized, as Sol shifted in his power chair and turned his prodigious attention toward Saa, that the passing of the popped treat was merely the prelude to an austere event.

"So, Alor Par'jain, your reputation as a story-teller precedes you," the Kelborn patriarch addressed Saa formally, in what Cody assumed must have been a traditional speech. "Because of the Empire's presence in Creedee, we are not able to have our own alor here tonight to tell our newest clan member her first history," the whole gathering room seemed to hold its breath. "Would you do us the honor, Alor Par'jain, as friend of Clan Kelborn?"

Saa allowed for the appropriate moment of anticipatory silence, before slowly nodding his head and accepting the honor so graciously extended to him.

"It would be Clan Par'jain's own honor."

Even though he had yet to assume the clan title as an official member, Cody felt his chest swell with pride. He didn't understand the ceremonial significance of the honor, but he could understand the honor itself. Saa, too, seemed taken by surprise by the request, but a thoughtful look had crossed his face as he sat silent for a moment longer.

"Sheresh's tune reminds me of a Shistavanen lullaby," Saa began, his voice deeper, richer, than Cody had ever heard before - it was the voice, he realized, of an experienced storyteller. "Which then reminds me of a tale my wife's father told at the adoption celebrations of both my Hella and my Mrov. So, forgive me, Clan Kelborn, if I break just slightly with tradition tonight and tell you all a tale of the Shistavanen and not of the Mando'ad," the elder Par'jain paused once more and added softly. "It is, however, a tale that I believe should become one of our own."

"Then tell it," Sol opened his hands wide in expansive permission. "So that it may become such."

Satisfied, Saa settled back in his cushions. Sheresh continued to strum quietly on the strings of her kitar; Cody would look back later and realize that the moment was a carefully choreographed one between story-teller and musician. Together, they created a space out of time, a moment that knew no temporal boundary.

To his surprise, however, Cody himself had a role to play in the telling.

"Cody," Saa startled him with his quiet command, but the former clone reacted instantly, directing his attention immediately toward his elder. "Unsheathe the knife Mal gave you."

Cody obeyed immediately, but his brows knitted together in puzzlement. Saa had once told him to keep the knife hidden, as it was a rare artifact and one that could easily gain unwanted attention. As he pulled it slowly out of the sheath that he had finally decided to keep permanently in his boot, Cody saw Kar shift forward with interest in order to see around Candeera. The clone shot the smuggler a dirty look, but the Mirialan's face was a study in innocence. Kar's blue eyes grew wide, though, as the knife slid free of its sheath and shone brilliantly in the comfortable, mellow light of the gathering room.

A collective gasp rippled through the room. Sol - like Kar - leaned forward in his chair, though his interest seemed far more professional and a lot less opportunistic.

"Sun-steel?" the Mandalorian's dark eyebrows rose high in incredulity.

"A gift from my late father-in-law," Saa nodded solemnly. "From him to Cody, exclusively."

"And there's a story in this, you say?" Sol settled back in his power chair, his expression mildly stunned; once again, his dark eyes turned toward Cody and their gaze was calculating.

In fact, Cody felt _every_ eye on the room turn to him and he fiddled uncertainly with the handle of his perfectly balanced blade. Sheresh's music still whispered beneath the currents of interest and surprise, though, and Saa steered everyone's attention toward the telling of his tale with practiced ease.

"It is a story that has been told in the Shistavanen home system of Uvena since the dark days of the Sith Wars. Some say that the tale is a memory of those Wars and of the destruction that was left in their wake. Some say it is a race memory from a time more ancient than any that's ever been recorded. But, what isn't known is of very little importance to the telling of this tale," Saa steepled his fingers together under his chin as he spoke, his voice as wise and compelling as any Jedi master. "What _is_ known is that it is a myth about the origins of sun-steel...and that it is a story of defiance and triumph. It is a story of _rebellion_."

* * *

><p>"Once, there was a Shistavanen blacksmith by the name of Hov. Now, Hov was a master of his craft and was known throughout the Uvena worlds as a blacksmith of great renown. But, he was also a humble wolf - wise and cunning in spite of his youth. Like many blacksmiths, he lived by a stream - which should be noted, as this will play a part in the telling of our tale.<p>

"Hov lived in a time when the galaxy was in ruins. Tales came through, from far-away worlds, brought by a few daring wolves who ventured out beyond the system at the urging of the clerics. For the clerics could sense something Dark brewing in the worlds beyond - a Darkness that hunted for prey that could never slake its hunger.

"But, for Hov and for most of his fellow wolves, the cares of the wider galaxy were left to those who had to care. Shistavanens lived as Shistavanens had always lived - quietly, without pride or war.

"Until, one day, Darkness dimmed the sun of Uvena Prime and Death came to stalk the Shistavanen. Prey was easy for Death and none could defy him. His very presence struck fear into the hearts of those who saw him coming, of those who dared to look into his face before he took their lives for food. It is said that he was dressed in robes as vast and Dark as the Black that lies at the edges of our galaxy. It is said that his face was painted red with the blood of those he slew and that his eyes were yellow suns of hate that consumed all that he desired.

"Death moved triumphant through the worlds of Uvena, until he came to Uvena Prime, to the mother world. There, he came across Hov, the blacksmith, working tirelessly at his forge.

"'You are a fool,'" Death proclaimed haughtily, as he stood at the door of Hov's shop and watched the wolf. "'Death knocks at your hearth and still you work?'"

"'I'm not dead yet,'" Hov retorted calmly, as he thrust a red-hot blade into a tank of water. "I make swords and spears and shields, for those who would oppose you.

"Death was so amused to hear this, that he threw back his awful head and laughed. Thunder rolled across the skies and lightening reached down to scorch the earth where he stood. But Death's display of power did not move Hov's spirit and the stout wolf kept pounding on his blade.

"'You dare presume to think that I can be '_opposed_'?' Death thundered in his hideous voice; his eyes flashed bright at the challenge so calmly delivered.

"Hov merely shrugged his shoulders.

"'I'm not dead yet'," he repeated, unperturbed.

"'You amuse me, beast,' Death finally said after a ghastly silence. "'I will make a deal.'"

"'Name me your price,'" Hov finally looked up from his work and dared to stare Death in the face; he did not shake or shiver, but stood his ground.

"'I am Pestilence, and War, and Hatred, and _Evil_,'" Death hissed. "'Here is your deal, _dog_. Gather up a Light that may equal my Darkness and meet me a year and a day from hence. Meet me with the brilliance of a thousand suns and if_you_can stand my equal, then I will leave your worlds in peace and never return.'"

"'I accept,'" Hov said simply and the deal was set.

"'Death walked among other worlds for that year and a day. And Hov stayed at his forge, hammering out every scrap of metal that was brought to his door. Word of his challenge spread through Uvena Prime and out to the other system worlds. When asked what could possibly be done to fulfill this impossible demand, Hov said only to bring him metal. And so, for a year, every able-bodied Shistavanen became a miner, digging deep into the earth for her bones. Hov called his apprentices to him and they worked tirelessly, making swords, shields, breastplates, helmets, and armor.

"Finally, a year passed and the day of reckoning came. Death walked once again on Uvena Prime, his Darkness billowing about him like a solar storm of endless rage. He called to Hov and taunted him - demanded to know where he was. But, it was only until the sun hung at the apex of the sky - at perfect noon - that a thousand armored Shistavanen marched out to meet Death on the Great Plain of Enipul. Hov marched at the front, his heart as steady as his step.

"For, Death in all of his arrogance, had made a mistake. He had done as Hov had guessed - he had gathered his Darkness all around him, to make himself appear more fierce-some. The sun remained high in the sky above Uvena Prime - and her rays blazed like fire across the polished helms and chests of a thousand armored wolves.

"The light from Hov's polished steel created a brilliance that blinded Death the moment he moved back his folds of Darkness to strike the blacksmith dead. Those who were there said later that Death's yellow eyes bled from the power of the sun. Death threw his arms across his face and screamed; he cowered in the face of Hov and his thousand suns.

"Hov and his wolves howled as they charged toward Death. Blinded, in pain, Death could not fight back as he would have once and even though wolves died at the hands of his sorcery, Death finally met his match in the brilliance of Hov's flashing blade. Death - in his incarnate form - would no longer walk through the worlds of the Shistavanen. And the Shistavanen made sure that he would walk no longer through the galaxies beyond.

"Now, we know that Death had sons and daughters and that they stalk the worlds in their father's vast void. But they no longer show their face, or taunt the living. The defeat of Death taught his children humility and also it taught every sentient wise enough to stand bold and brave, not to fear the Darkness.

"After the Great Battle of Enipul, Hov returned home. He took all of the swords, and spears, and helms that he had made and melted them down again to their basic liquid form. Then, he poured that ore into the stream that flowed by his forge - for peace had returned to Uvena Prime and there was no more need for the weapons of war.

"But, a curious thing happened, as Hov poured the liquid metal into his stream. You see, the light of the sun had flashed so brilliantly on Hov's forged plates of courage, that it had changed the very nature of the metal itself. The stream by Hov's house shone as brilliantly as the sun, as it carried the altered ore down through secret rivulets into the coldness of the earth below. There, those rivers froze over, hardening into sun steel, where their brilliance lit the darkness of the underworld.

"Hov never knew of this marvel - he lived out his days in quiet humility, with his forge, his wife, and his pups. But, his pups' pups discovered the reservoirs of sun steel that lay beneath their world and the legends spread again. Those who were brave enough to face the Darkness could harvest that precious ore and the sons of Hov could shape it into weapons once again. Wondrous weapons, that belonged in the hands of the brave, of the defiant - of those who would stand like a thousand suns and challenge Death to stand humbled in his place."

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><p>There was a profound silence after Saa finished his story. Even Sheresh had stopped strumming - the gathering room was perfectly still. Sol was the first to break the lull, deep his voice almost reverent.<p>

"A story of rebellion indeed, Alor Par'jain," a pause. "You would grace our newest _ad'ika_ with a tale of defiance?"

"She is the biological granddaughter of the very man who helped bring this galaxy to its knees," Saa replied with calm conviction. "I would grace every youngling born in these dark times with a tale of defiance. Perhaps, in defiance, we may forge a new hope."

Sol said nothing to this, but a fierceness flashed across his face and Cody knew that there could be no question about what side of the darkness Sol would align himself and his family. An unspoken alliance had just been forged, between the members of Clan Par'jain and Clan Kelborn - Cody hoped, in his heart, for the sake of his children, that such an alliance would not be needed. But, he also knew, in his heart, that for the sake of his children such an alliance may very well be all that stood between the Empire and the hope of a free galaxy.

"Candeera, Rys," Sol finally turned to the new parents and arched a single eyebrow upward toward his non-existent hairline. "This is the story that you will tell your daughter every year on her Naming Day. You have heard this tale of defiance, of rebellion. Do you accept it as your own - as a tale of the Mando'ad?"

"We accept," Rys and Candeera replied in unison; there was no hesitation and Cody saw the call of duty sharpen Rys' dark gaze.

The embers of the communal fire had softened during the length of Saa's tale and Cody's sun-steel blade shone brighter than ever in the cozy room. Cody saw his brother's eyes gravitate toward the blade, as he considered the sun-steel with an expression that was almost thoughtful.

"Having accepted this tale, is there a name that you would give your daughter, so that the Clans may know her?"

Rys' eyes never left Cody's naked blade; the sun-steel's light reflected deep within the former Guardsman's eyes.

"There is," Rys nodded slowly, his eyes never wavering once from the blade. "We will name her _Nau'ur –__ a name that means to light up, to illuminate."_

"By this name," Candeera interjected softly. "She will know her duty."

"She will illuminate the darkness," Rys finally looked up and something defiant, something rebellious, flashed like sun-steel across his face. "May our daughter be one of a thousand suns."

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><p><strong>AN:** _And this, Dear Reader, is a chapter that was nearly two years in the making. This is the crux of "A Thousand Suns" and the entire saga I have planned to follow. I hope Saa's Shistavanen tale has done justice the seeds of rebellion that have been quietly sown in the hearts of Cody and the others. And, I hope that this was a chapter well worth the wait and the build-up. ^^_

_Much love and thanks to** LongLiveTheClones**, who has graciously agreed to Beta for me. I couldn't ask for better!_

_Many hugs and love to my dedicated reader-reviewers_: _**Agent ERA**, **Admiral Daala** and **Kiana Tavers-Mereel**. You guys are the reason I keep writing. *hugs*_

_Love it? Like it? Hate it? Lemme know...!_


	19. Wisdom, Justice, & Love10

**Musical Recommendation:** _Much of this chapter was written to the **Dharohar Project** by **Laura Marling** and **Mumford and Sons**. Songs of specific interest would be **Devil's Spoke/Sneh Ko Marg** and **Meheni Rachi**. Male vocals in Hindi would be the inspiration for **Kar**'s singing and female vocals in English would be the inspiration for **Sheresh**'s singing. The music styles showcased in these two songs are also what I'm basing a lot of Miralian (Indian) and Alderaanian (Irish folk-ish) music off of, too. :)_

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><p>"<em>All <em>_the __great __things __are __simple, __and __many __can __be __expressed __in __a __single __word: __freedom, __justice, __honor, __duty, __mercy, __hope.__"_

**Winston Churchill**

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><p>Candeera and Rys took the still-sleeping Nau'ur back to the privacy and quiet of their own quarters shortly after the youngling's Naming. A contemplative silence had fallen over the group, as each sentient turned over the weight of Saa's Shistavanen tale in their own mind. Sol was the first to interrupt the gentle serenity with a pointed question toward the resident clan chieftain.<p>

"You would incite defiance against the Empire?" the capacious Koruun drummed his fingers thoughtfully on the arms of his power chair.

"I would if it is able," Saa responded quickly, without pausing once to consider his answer. "I understand that our current Mandalor seeks the same."

"Fenn Shysa does indeed fight against Imperial brutality – but his concerns are limited only to Mandalor and to those of our people who are being pressed into slavery. His actions have caused little ripple in the galaxy at large," Sol glanced briefly over at Orar and Cody knew that the Arkanian was the source of most of the _Vecuyan_'s knowledge of the wider worlds beyond the Anobis Borderlands. "It would seem, however, that your sights are on a defiance much larger than that of our Mandalor."

"It is," Saa was straightforward – as always – in his honesty. "But, I'm wise enough to know that my thoughts of rebellion are merely seeds that have to be sown patiently. A larger, organized rebellion against the Empire cannot possibly happen overnight."

"How do you propose that it begins at all?" Sol demanded softly; Cody could see that the former _Cuy'val__Dar_ was intrigued by Saa's private machinations, but also cautious about the reality of what they discussed.

"We've begun it here, tonight," Saa waved an all-encompassing hand toward the gathering room at large. "In the Naming of a child – in her _birth_. Count the deserters in our midsts, Sol'ika," the alor's green eyes drifted thoughtfully over toward Cody and Fives, where they lingered for several moments. "Between my clan and yours, we have _five_. There is even the possibility of a sixth, in the clone who helped us escape safely from Creedee's freshly smoldering streets. Then there's a seventh – maybe more – who are waiting for release from an Imperial cell. Each of these deserters are strong, healthy, hearty men, capable of fathering children and creating their own families. Each of these men also have what many in the galaxy who rebel do _not_ – they have military training and an innate understanding of what it takes to wage a war. Some, even, commanded positions of power in both the GAR _and_ the Empire. In the ranks of the Mando'ad, they are a powerful potential for a defiant military force."

"And within the Mando'ad, they are also a hope of strength for the clans," Orar's soft voice calmly disrupted the silence that fell after Saa's persuasive speech. "As we have seen tonight, they are a hope of offspring and tradition – even if they are not the generation to win a war against the Empire, they _are_ the ones to set the strategies in motion."

"You assume that all of us deserters would want to take part in this 'defiance'," Fives spoke up roughly; his dark eyes flashed mutinously. "You sit here and plan our fates as if we're not even present. At least have the decency to ask us what _we_ want out of our own lives. I don't know about the rest of my brothers, but _I_, for one, am tired of others telling me what to do."

The former ARC lifted his chin defiantly, but he had a valid point. Kix made a quiet noise of agreement in the back of his throat and even Ferro had looked up from his glass, his sharp eyes measuring up both Sol and Saa with something like disapproval. Cody stayed silent, but he shifted restlessly in his seat and agreed quietly with his brother's argument.

He was shocked, then, when Saa turned the conversation over to him.

"Cod'_ika_," the weathered mercenary's voice was unusually neutral. "You held the highest rank out of all of your brothers present. What say you?"

A moment of sheer panic constricted Cody's throat – once, he would have thought nothing of having his opinion asked. In fact, Obi-Wan used to do so frequently, totally unbidden, and Cody had never shied away from the opportunity to confidently speak his mind. But, he had been a different man then – secure in his rank and in his own authority. Events since Order 66 had robbed Cody of much of his former "command presence" and he no longer saw himself as much of a leader, or really, much of anything. Saa brought up the rank he had once held as a gesture of respect, but it felt hollow to Cody. In his own eyes, he was the lowest of his brothers, the only one who had committed crimes in the name of the Empire, instead of standing up against it.

The silence in the gathering room was deafening, though, and Cody realized that the Mando'ad would wait patiently for as long as he vacillated. And, the truth of the matter was that the former commander knew exactly what he wanted to say in response to both Saa and Fives. In the privacy of his mind, Cody had long since decided what actions he would take to help set the balance of the galaxy right. It was time now, to speak those thoughts aloud – regardless of whether or not he was "ready" to share the truth of his convictions.

"I think Fives is right, in that we clones should be allowed to choose our own fates. We were all created to fight someone else's wars, without ever a single thought spared for the rights of our own sentience. You'll find that those of us who have deserted are indeed more defiant than most," Cody's eyes flickered toward Fives, who was watching him with narrowed, judging eyes. "But that doesn't mean that our defiance should be automatically interrupted as allegiance to someone else's cause. If we join the Mando'ad, it's a _mutual_ choice," now his eyes drifted over to Saa, who nodded briefly in agreement. "The clan must choose us and _we_ must choose the clan. We should also be careful to respect that association _with_ the clans doesn't automatically equal allegiance _to_ the clans."

Cody saw both Kix and Kar nod to themselves out of the corner of his eye. He knew that there was some pressure on Kix's part to join Clan Kelborn, but he was surprised by Kar's response. Had the smuggler, too, been asked to join the Clan? There was a story behind the Mirialan's thoughtful expression and Cody resolved quietly to ask him about it at some later time, should the opportunity present itself.

"However," the former commander paused; the weight of his words hung heavy on his heart and it took a moment for him to organize his thoughts. "I think that us clones should be careful about becoming selfish when asserting our independence," he looked down at his hands and his face twisted with the darkness of his memories. "We _all_ destroyed this galaxy – regardless of whether or not we participated in Order 66. Our objective was always non-organic and we were carefully conditioned to focus on the tinnies and nothing else. But, we're only fooling ourselves if we refuse to realize that a lot of innocent civilians got caught in the cross-hairs of our cannons, blasters, and ships. We created a galaxy that was too broken to fight back when the time truly counted. While the choice to rebel against the Empire should be our own to make..." Cody paused and looked up, his eyes roving slowly around the room and all the faces watching him. "I for one have a past to redeem and a future to fight for."

"Well said, Cod'_ika_," Saa nodded firmly, his expression resolute.

"What's worth more than your own freedom?" Kix surprised everyone by speaking up; the medic shook his head slowly, his face uncertain.

"My freedom," Cody shrugged and struggled for a moment to explain his instantaneous response; once he found the words, though, his voice was solemn. "Do you think that the Empire's going to just let us slip through the cracks?" the former commander raised a slight eyebrow. "I've _been_ an officer in the Imperial Army. _I_ know better – they've set allowed a whole contingent of our brothers to operate seemingly independently of the Empire, just so they would have an excuse to collect the bounties on our heads. We _all_ have a price," Cody glanced around the room, his eyes lingering on Kix, Ferro, and Fives. "We're not _free_ brothers – we're as enslaved as the rest of the galaxy. We'll always be running and I find no freedom in that."

"Some of us don't have anywhere to run _to_," Ferro's voice was quiet; the ARC didn't look anyone in the eye, as he focused all of his attention on the floor beneath his feet. "I'd be interested in known, sir, what future you think is so important to fight for," the former captain looked up just once, just briefly, to meet Cody's gaze. "Some of us don't have one."

"Is there anyone out there in the galaxy – anyone at all, Ferro – that you wonder about? That you'd want to see living free and safe?" Cody's response was appropriately gentle; he didn't know what the ARC's story was and would probably never know.

He could tell, though, as a brother, that Ferro was deeply troubled by something. Perhaps it was something he had seen...perhaps it was something that he had done. The ARCs brow furrowed, but he remained silent, his eyes focused firmly on the floor.

"Is there anything you regret?" Cody practically sighed, the memories of his own faults and sins crowding hard against his heart.

Ferro nodded slowly, just once. He glanced up, his brown eyes miserable. Cody recognized the look – he had seen it in his own face before, in mirrors that he had once tried so desperately to avoid. It was the look of a man who was haunted by his past – who was desperate to do anything to redeem his beleaguered conscience.

"There's always something worth fighting for, Ferro," Cody spoke for experience and the weight of that lent a great depth to his words. "Even if it's just to set right what you can."

Ferro just nodded again, but something wistful had crossed his face. It wasn't exactly hope, but Cody could tell he was thinking about something. A part of him was curious to know Ferro's story, but the former commander had never been the prying type. If the ARC wanted to pull him aside and tell him what was weighing so heavily on his mind, then he would. But, if he didn't want to share his secrets, Cody would leave him to it. He knew from experience that there were some things that could only be shared with certain people and some things that could never be shared at all. The heart was a dark place and it wasn't easy to just lay one's past out to random stranger – brother or not.

"You make a compelling case, Cody – on both sides," Sol finally interjected and the conversation slowly came back around to what had started it off in the first place. "I would agree that the choice to rebel – or, to ally ones self with those who would – is a personal choice. I, for one, would not want to pressure a compliance that was not one's own decision. Rebellion is a often a fight to the death. As a warrior, I want no one fighting on my side, who is not committed wholly to my cause."

"And, it should be noted, that for now, all of this hypothetical at best," Drali spoke up for the first time; her voice was clear and assertive, as the sole matriarch present from either clan. "You males always want to speak of war and the politics of war," her smile belied the gentle scolding of her words. "But, the truth of the matter is, that we have time for allegiances to be made and for decisions to weighed. If we are to fight, then we fight to win. And, as any Mandalorian will tell you, fighting to win takes time and it takes careful planning."

"Dra'_buir_ is right," Sheresh agreed; her kitar lay across her lap, momentarily forgotten. "I want to see the Empire broken and I want to see it pay for what it's done," a darkness drifted across her face and in that moment, Cody plainly saw the deadly warrior that lay beneath her pretty face. "But, many of us have lost enough already," her eyes flickered briefly to Fives and Cody felt a sudden curiosity that demanded to be answered. "If we're to fight, if we're to rebel, then we _will _pay the price for rising up. Let's at least pay our respects to the loved ones we've already lost and make sure that their sacrifices aren't for vain."

Her message was clear - "let's think before we act." There had been enough wasted lives; Cody glanced at Fives himself and thought of Echo, thought of Waxer. He couldn't agree more.

"Dra'_buir_ also brings up a most excellent point," Orar's voice was soft, as it always was, but every eye in the room turned toward the resident diplomat. "She mentions 'allegiances' – and such a thing would be crucial for the success of any rebellion. Surely, those of us of Clan Par'jain and Clan Kelborn, as well as those of you who have deserted from the Empire all together, are not alone in our desire to fight back. There would be others, scattered throughout the galaxy. Other deserters, other Mando'ad, and – more importantly – others, perhaps, who would have the resources to finance such an ambitious endeavor."

"Who would you suggest?" Sol leaned forward in his power chair in interest; he knew his son's face best and clearly, the thoughtful look on Orar's pale features lead his father to believe that the spy may have a potential ally in mind.

"I'm actually not certain," Orar glanced briefly at Sheresh and Cody was puzzled by such a random choice; the two looked at each other, then, but the Alderaanian Mandalorian merely lifted a slim red eyebrow in silent curiosity. "I do not speak of allies until I am sure of their commitment. To do otherwise is foolish," the Arkanian finally looked away from Sheresh and shifted on his cushion as he turned to address Sol directly. "But, I have a few possible leads in mind."

"Then search for us, _ad'ika_," Sol calmly delivered his verdict. "We will lay low, for now, gathering our forces and quietly preparing our own for war. You have all spoken words of great wisdom tonight; for now, we will raise our daughters," his dark eyes flickered briefly to Cody and then to Saa, who nodded thoughtfully at Sol's next words. "We will adopt our sons. And," those bottomless eyes turned toward Kar, who leaned back on his cushion and matched Sol's gaze evenly. "We will test the strength of our allegiances.

"In the meantime, _ad'ika_," he finally turned back toward Orar, the Arkanian's mission clear. "Search for us. Evaluate your 'leads' and let us know when you've found an ally worth our loyalty."

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><p>Mandalorians, Cody learned, could swing almost effortlessly from solemnity to celebration with an ease that was almost enviable. Sheresh later explained to him that it had a lot to do with the Mandalorian view of life – sorrow could cut through the heart one minute and be followed by inexpressible joy the next. Death, birth, joy, sorrow, life, and lust could coexist in equal measures, according to what little Mandalorian philosophy there was. Once the moment for seriousness had passed, there was nothing to hold back the Mando'ad from moving smoothly into joviality.<p>

And, so it was, once Sol had spoken his peace, that those gathered in the Kelborn gathering room moved their attention guiltlessly toward revelry. It confused Cody at first – after all, they _had_ just been talking of allies, adoptions, younglings, and rebellion – but he soon realized that the transition was a natural one to the Mandalorian mind. The Mando'ad did not linger, he discovered; they accepted what was present and reveled in every moment that passed by.

The evening's celebrations unfolded in rare form. Once the younglings had been safely tucked away in bed, the adults settled happily into their cups. Sheresh picked up her kitar again and Kar surprised everyone by bringing out a small, hand-held drum. This encouraged Rowin to whip out a small, silver, rectangular instrument that he referred to as a 'mouth organ'; it was, apparently, a traditional instrument among the Lepi. Ka'ra, Kar, and Sheresh took turns singing and before too long, hands were clapping and even Cody's feet were tapping in time to a fast-paced Alderaanian reel.

Alcohol flowed freely and what was left of the food in lesser amounts. Requests for songs flew, one right after another; the demands came from as much from a desire to hear certain songs, as it was to test just how extensive the musicians' repertoires were. There were Zygerrian jigs, Lorrdian ballads, Koruun war chants, Alderaanian sea shanties, and Anobian reels. As the night moved on, Sheresh and Kar – in particular – started to pick up on each other's natural strengths and began weaving their different traditional styles together.

For one memorable song, Kar shocked everyone by showing off a rich, well-trained vocal range in his native language. He opened up the song with nothing more than his voice, then Sheresh joined in with her own clear alto and accompanying kitar. The two played off of each other – Sheresh setting the pace with her kitar, the smuggler keeping up with his drum. They would both takes turns singing, Sheresh in Galactic and Kar in the exotic notes of Mirialan. As the two wove their wildly different styles together in an impressive composition of considerable skill, Cody realized that the two _had_ to have been giving each other subtle cues through the Force, in order for something so complex to come together without rehearsal.

As a half-Zeltron and a full-blooded Mirialan, the two were both naturally Force Sensitive and the former commander watched with something akin to awe as the two created a frolicking sound effect throughout the confines of the intimate gathering room. A quick glance to his left, though, revealed a quietly seething Fives, who was watching Kar with all of the intensity of a dangerously trained soldier who was plotting a not-so-quick-and-painless-death.

The tune was catchy, though – Cody had to give Sheresh and Kar'eth that much, at least. Their voices complimented each other quite spectacularly and for days afterwards, Cody would have Sheresh's lyrics stuck in his head:

"_I am from a country land_

_Where beauty only grows,_

_And though I'd dream to leave one day_

_I'd dare not ever go..."_

The joint effort between the two musicians seemed to inspire something in the rest of the gathering. However, Cody soon learned that when two Mandalorian clans started to talk about joining forces, it didn't stay entirely collaborative for long. Inevitably, the Mando'ad's natural competitiveness intervened and turned the evening's activities into something of a friendly rivalry.

It started off between the two respective patriarchs. As Kar and Sheresh launched into another, even more enthusiastic reel, Saa and Sol clasped their right hands together and began to test each other. Heads kept bobbing in time to Sheresh's fast-paced strings and Kar's undulating vocals, but every eye turned with interest toward the two clan leaders. The contest was surprisingly short-lived – much to the amusement of Clan Kelborn.

Saa gritted his teeth and narrowed his eyes in a singular concentration; he had rolled his sleeves up past his elbow and the muscles in his forearms strained with an impressive effort. But, Sol was an armorer and had spent his entire life building up his upper body, thanks to his profession and his disability. Saa – as scrappy as he was – didn't have much of a chance. Sol overpowered the Par'jain alor without any real visible struggle.

Kar and Sheresh concluded their second song with a rousing flourish of strings and drum, just as Sol overpowered the straining Saa and pushed the mercenary's arm down against the arms of his power chair. Clan Kelborn hooted in triumph and Sol easily pulled Saa's forearm into a firm clasp of friendship. Former _Cuy'val Dar_ and spy grinned at each other and shook on Sol's all-too-easy triumph.

That set the stage for the rest of the night. Drali teasingly suggested that Clan Par'jain and Clan Kelborn try to even the score on behalf of their leaders, but the flash in her eyes belied her love of challenge. The thrill of conquest was shared by all, however, and even Cody didn't protest as the two clans separated into opposing teams. Despite the competitiveness that seemed an intrinsic part of the Mando'ad, no one seemed upset by Sol's easy triumph over Saa, or by the ensuing contests of skill and strength. The friendly matches remained just that – friendly – and Cody realized, as he watched the almost-playful dramas unfold, that this was simply how Mandalorians tested the worth of one another and strengthened the bonds between their clans.

It fascinated Cody to see how the clans divided themselves – or, rather, to see who was _claimed_ by each clan. Kix, Kar, and Ferro were all enthusiastically encouraged to come sit with Clan Kelborn on one side of the gathering room. That left Kil, Rowin, Fives, and Cody on the side with Clan Par'jain. Fascinated by the developing dynamic between the clans and their respective allies, Cody leaned back against the blanketed cushions behind him and settled in for the show.

The first pair to rise to the challenge was – surprisingly – Rowin and Ka'ra. The brash female Zabrak practically swaggered into the center of the gathering room, where such feats of skill apparently took place, and challenged the gangly Lepi to as many shots of _tihaar_ as he could keep down. Cody practically groaned into his hand, when Rowin bounded to his feet and accepted.

"This isn't going to end well," the former commander glanced over at Fives, who seemed suitably distracted from his own private jealousies, now that Kar and Sheresh weren't sitting together.

"Huh," Fives snorted and crossed his arms over his chest; the former ARC lifted a wry eyebrow. "My bet's on the Lepi. I've seen him drink. You?"

"Ka'ra, for sure," Cody shook his head with a quirk of his lips. "I've seen Mandalorians drink."

"Ten credits?" Fives proposed, as Rowin and Ka'ra settled down, cross-legged, and squared off against each other.

"Make it fifteen. And throw in a little self-disclosure for good measure," Cody haggled; Fives shot him a puzzled look.

"Self-disclosure?"

"Yeah," Cody nodded; Rowin took his first shot of the infamous Mandalorian liquor. "Answer some questions about the course of life since Umbara. Winner's discretion."

Ka'ra tossed back _two_ shots of _tihaar_ in rapid succession, to the encouraging cheers of Clan Par'jain.

"Umbara?" Fives kept his eyes fixed forward, but he frowned slightly. "Why Umbara?"

"That's when I kind of lost track of you," Cody shrugged; he didn't dare glance toward his brother. "Always wondered about what happened to you afterwards."

Apparently, the game involved some sort convoluted scoring system that Cody wasn't able to keep track of while carrying on a conversation with Fives. Each opponent had to up the ante on the other, though, or so it would seem; Rowin knocked back _three_ shots and tried to suppress a shudder. Cody chuckled softly to himself – it had been quite some time since he'd tasted _tihaar_, but he remembered it well. Depending on the mix, it could go down as smooth as frill syrup, or it could burn like Ryloth pepper juice. It would seem, based on the rather disapproving set of Rowin's whiskers, that the current batch between him and Ka'ra was more along the lines of pepper juice...

"So, fifteen creds and self-disclosure?" Fives seemed to be giving the deal some serious consideration.

"Yup," Cody nodded; Ka'ra knocked back _four_ shots with ease and Rowin wasn't looking quite so thrilled about upping his own count.

"Deal," Fives agreed abruptly, as Rowin grimaced and dutifully downed his five in rapid sequence. "And if I win, you're disclosing how in _haran_ you ended up with the likes of Healer Marr."

Cody winced slightly at the thought of having to share the intimate details of his relationship – or, more specifically, the intimate details of how he had come to have a relationship in the first place. Fives' hostile reaction on first contact had made the former commander a little reluctant to share his past around the volatile ARC. Fives could be an uncompromising opponent – that much, Cody had gathered over the years – and the interim between Umbara and now seemed to have made the one-time trooper only more judgmental.

Cody sidled a glance over at Fives, as Rowin sputtered around his seventh shot. The odds seemed stacked in the Lepi's favor – he was _not_ handling the _tihaar_ as effortlessly as Ka'ra. By the looks of thing, he'd be losing his bet to his brother and Cody had to wonder if sharing the secrets of his past would earn him respect, or further repudiation.

There really was no way of knowing which way Fives' opinion would swing. The ARC had shown a wide – and rather puzzling array – of contrasting emotions over the last handful of days. He had been violent, hostile, aggressive, and sullen, only to turn those interactions around in better company. He was still suspicious, still hyper-vigilant, still uneasy, but he had relaxed during his time in the kitchen and seemed to be enjoying himself immensely.

With, of course, the exception of Sheresh and her admirer. Cody glanced over toward the two in question and saw that they were whispering to one another; Kareth's lips were a little too close to Sheresh's ear to be considered entirely honorable, his hand a little too bold in its calculated placement on her upper thigh. Dreading Fives' reaction, Cody glanced back toward his immediate companion, but Fives didn't see to have noticed Kareth's continued advances; the ARC's attention was solely fixed on the drinking game in front of them.

Rowin lost, with a full-body shudder and a vehement declaration of "not another damn shot of that gut-burnin' ship fuel!" The entire room burst out laughing and Cody – who had worried that ill-feelings might have been engendered by the outcome of the game – was pleased to see that in the eyes of the Mando'ad, a friendly rivalry wasn't anything to be taken personally. Rowin acquiesced to Ka'ra's victory with something akin to relief and Ala was gracious enough to run to the kitchen and fetch the space-rabbit a tall glass of water.

A round of cheerful, good-natured ribbing ensued, which Rowin took in good-humor. Ka'ra beamed and teased Rowin gently -

"Never tried to out-drink a Mandalorian, eh, rabbit?"

"Nope," Rowin wiggled his ears disapproving in her general direction as he accepted his water from Ala. "An' I'm-a thinkin' I'll not be tryin' that ever again, either," his whiskers stiffened indignantly. "I mean, really...you lot think that kriffin' naphtha is actually _potable_?"

No one answered him, as every last Mandalorian started laughing anew. Rowin shook his head, his long ears flopping about his shoulders and muttered something in his native tongue into the contents of his mug. If it was unsportsmanlike like, Rowin didn't offer to translate it and no one pressured him to repeat it in Galactic; if anything, the merriment only doubled and he was slapped heartily on the back by those around him.

"Fifteen creds," Fives interrupted Cody's focus with an outstretched hand; the former commander sighed and shook his head.

"Give it a minute, Fives. All my money's with my armor, back in the room," Cody gently grabbed his brother's wrist and pushed it away from him; when Fives gave him a skeptical look, the would-be Mandalorian reassured him with all of the sincerity at his disposal. "I'm good for it, I promise! I just -" Cody paused and shrugged, as he waved vaguely at the room around them. "Don't want to miss anything."

His case was helped by the fact that it looked like Kil and Kix were now the next being paired off. Kil – as usual – had been silent the entire evening and because of it, had been practically hidden in the background. In fact, Cody had forgotten about the one-time Jedi and was a little surprised to see her calmly take center stage. It appeared, though, that Kix had called her out while he had been negotiating the time of his payment with Fives; suitably distracted, the ARC dropped the subject and the two watched in companionable silence as a board, five cups, and a pair of dice were placed between the two new opponents.

"What's this?" Fives frowned after a brief, puzzled pause.

"Looks like a memory game," Cody leaned back against his cushions again and stretched out his long legs. "Used to play a game like that with -" he suddenly halted to a stop and couldn't find it within himself to continue; the memory of Rex simply hurt too much.

Fives gave him a strange, searching look and then surprised Cody with an unexpected display of perception.

"Captain Rex?" he finished the sentence simply and for several moments afterwards, Cody could only nod.

"Yeah," he cleared his throat and gathered his composure.

_Why does it hurt so much all of a sudden?_he wondered, as Kix hid one of the dice under a cup and then started switching it around the board with the other assembled cups. _Is it because I'm stuck with Fives, now?_

Fives was, undoubtedly, his own man, but Cody would have been lying to himself if he didn't admit that having Fives around reminded him of the 501st – and, conversely, of Rex. Left to their own devices, Rex and Cody were often loners, comfortable in their own roles as leaders and separated by the duties of their command. But, because of how often their respective generals worked together, the two had found an unlikely friendship that had persisted in spite of their differing ranks. In fact, in three years, Cody had rarely found cause to "pull rank" on Rex and on those rare occasions that he had, it had been necessitated by their immediate situations and not by anything even remotely personal.

They had fought together, eaten together, planned together, watched over their Jedi together, even drank together. Like General Skywalker and General Kenobi, the two had been over the length and breadth of the galaxy together. Their experiences had brought them together and forged a friendship that had seemed almost impossible to break.

Until Order 66, at least. That was when the two had gone their very different ways. Cody had stayed obedient, compliant, enslaved to his rank and his dogged loyalty. Rex – ever the wild card – had defied his orders, defied his training, and defied the responsibilities of his rank. It had taken over a year for Cody to find his name on the Wanted Lists and even then, it was for all the wrong reasons. Rex's name had been featured at the very top of the Wanted Lists from the very beginning, as worse than a deserter, as a rebel.

There were moments when Cody longed for Rex's friendship and their effortless companionship once again. But, then those moments were always followed by doubt and shame.

Would Rex even want anything to do with Cody anymore? Their brotherhood had been forged in the fires of war and mutual loss...but had Order 66 destroyed even that?

"Cody?" Fives called the former commander's name and Cody blinked rapidly as his brother's voice dragged him out of his reverie.

"Hm?" Cody glanced over at his companion, momentarily sheepish; Fives' dark eyes were thoughtful, as if he were silently evaluating Cody in a new light.

"It never gets easier, you know," Fives astounded Cody with genuinely benevolent encouragement; there was an awful _knowing_ in the ARC's eyes, though, that Cody wished desperately had never found cause to be there in the first place.

"What does?" Cody asked softly; he thought he guessed the answer, but he dreaded it all the same.

"Losing a brother," Fives admitted softly; he turned his face forward and broke eye contact with Cody.

The former commander knew immediately that the ARC was merely trying to save face. He dropped his own eyes and looked down in his lap; cheering erupted all around them and he looked up just in time to see Kil look up from the board between her and Kix with a softly triumphant expression on her handsome face.

Cody didn't have any time to really process what had just happened, most particularly not what had just taken place between him and Fives. The ARC's attention had moved on pointedly toward the scene of triumph on their side of the gathering room, as Kil made her way back to her cushion with fluid grace. Cody eyed her thoughtfully as she settled down between Saa and Rowin; the former Jedi was tall and willowy. It was the first time he had really gotten a chance to see her in some state other than sheer panic and he was impressed by how the Corellian carried herself. She moved with a confident certainty that he had only ever seen in a rare kind of Jedi, or in royalty. Kil was mute, scarred deeply from her experiences and by Order 66, but the core of her spirit was as yet unbroken.

Cody had learned that much could be told about a sentient by the way he or she walked. As Kil settled down, back straight and mouth curved up gently in the first genuine smile he had ever seen on her, Cody realized that Kil had full possession of the indomitable willpower that had made her people so great.

As Kil proclaimed the winner of the game between her and Kix, Cody turned toward Fives again. The former commander didn't know what he was going to say, or even what it was that he _wanted_ to say, but he didn't want the moment to pass without at least acknowledging what Fives had lost. Cody had long been troubled by what had happened at the Citadel, had long been bothered by the seeming indifference the loss of Echo had been to the others who had participated in the jail-break. Obi-wan and General Skywalker had taken Fives aside and expressed their sympathies to him, but there was no effort made to retrieve Echo's body, or to honor his sacrifice. In Cody's mind, the difference between Rex and Echo was a stark one and as much as he appreciated Fives' unexpected comparison of their losses, Cody didn't want the ARC to think that they were quite the same thing. If anything, Fives had suffered the greater heartache.

But, Cody never got the chance to verbalize what he felt and later, in retrospect, he would surmise that perhaps that was for the best. He was still uncertain of words and wasn't sure that he would have been able to express his thoughts without sounding patronizing. Really, at the end of the day, he would find some way to come to terms with Rex's disappearance and he would find a way not to mourn the loss of a friend. At least Rex was alive somewhere, still doing good in the galaxy, probably cavorting far and wide with Ahsoka at his side.

Echo? Echo had never had the chance.

Orar interrupted Cody's intentions of continuing the side-line conversation with Fives. The Arkanian offshoot challenged the former commander to a timed variation of dejarik. Cody had spent many boring hours on the _Resolute_ playing dejarik and other similar strategy games against Rex and a part of his heart twinged at the seeming cruelty of Fate.

As he settled down in the center of the gathering room, the former commander reflected briefly that the night was apparently one of remembrance for him – of what he had gained and what he had lost, since Order 66. On one hand, the room full of rowdy Mandalorians, spacers, and refugees made him long for Tay and the unspoken hope of a family to call his own. On the other hand, the camaraderie and friendship that flourished between the two clans brought to mind memories of Rex – the closest thing to a true brother that Cody had ever had in a sea of men who shared his very own genetic composition.

Perhaps it was the nature of his thoughts, or the heaviness that suddenly weighed at his heart, but Cody didn't do half as well at dejarik as he had in days gone by. Or, perhaps it was the fact that he hadn't played the game in nearly three years and that he had _never _played the game against the clock. Or, perhaps it was simply that Orar was just _that_ good.

The variation they played was set for thirty minutes. At first, Cody was almost positive that he could beat Orar in such a seemingly generous allotment of time. But, Orar was a crafty player and it wasn't until it was too late, that Cody realized that the Arkanian had subtly manipulated him toward complete and utter failure. While Cody had been distracted by a calculated series of advancements made by pawns and rooks, Orar had been drawing out the former commander's queen with specific intent.

It wasn't until Orar calmly moved his own queen and checkmated Cody in the center of a still half-full board, that the clone realized that he'd been had. Clan Kelborn erupted in cheers and the former commander glanced across the length of the checkered dejarik board to grin ruefully at Orar's triumphant face.

"Well played," Cody couldn't help but laugh as he glanced at the chrono someone had set on the ground next to him – if he hadn't been so cocky, he'd have had ten more minutes to pay better attention and make better moves.

"I play dejarik often," Orar was gracious, as he waved a pale hand dismissively with a smile. "It did not occur to me until now that perhaps we pitted you against a game in which I had an unfair advantage."

"We're even," Cody shook his head and offered Orar a small smile back in appreciation for his chivalry. "But, while we're both still here at _Vecuyan_, we should play together a few more times."

"Certainly. It would be an honor," Orar nodded; the two shook hands and then moved back to their respective places.

There was a brief lull, during which Cody mulled over the change in his mental skill set. The tragedies of Order 66 and its aftermath, coupled with his addictions, had apparently had a deeper affect on his psyche than he had first assumed. He'd been clean for well over six months now, but he still found himself forgetful, was still susceptible to intense cravings, and had to fight nearly every day against depression. Now, he discovered that skills that he had honed and incorporated into his self-image as a clone commander, had faded and dimmed.

He was no longer the man he used to be, that much was certain. For a moment, Cody considered being discouraged, but then he thought of Tay and tried to think on what she would say on the matter.

She would tell him not to give up, to play against Orar as much as he could while the Arkanian was around, and find ways to train his mind back to the sharpness it had once possessed. Strategy was something one learned – it was not an inherent gift, just randomly given out at conception. Cody had spent hours being drilled on the basics of strategy and tactics as a child, growing up in the clinical laboratories of Kamino. He had then been selected out of a narrow pool of peers to receive even _further_ training on strategy in advanced commander training with Alpha-17.

His training and development since his earliest memories had been a carefully plotted process. And, as Tay would say, processes could be duplicated.

He had forgotten so much, it would seem. But, with time and patience, he could regain at least most of what he had lost. Of this, Cody knew both Saa and Tay would be certain. The trick was fully convincing his own self that such was so.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** _Well...in true Rabbit-y fashion...it's taken me months to finish this chapter. However, much love and thanks to those who reviewed and favorited this story (and others of mine) in the interim. Special thanks to **Kiana Tavers-Mereel**, **laloga** and **Jade-Max** for their most excellent reviews on chapter 18. Kiana and laloga especially...you two are much of the reason why I keep plugging along at this epicness. To the three of you - thank you for being friends and thank you for never giving up faith in my ability to keep picking up where I left off. One couldn't ask for better friends. *hugs to all*_

_Can't say I have much to say at this point... Life has sort of run me over, but things are slowly starting to turn around for the better. I (and my Muse) just have to take it one day at a time right now. Divorce is not exactly conducive to creative productivity. T_T Thanks, as always, to ALL of you who have hung with me this far and who will continue to read/review my work in the days to come. You're all an absolute inspiration._

_Love it? Like it? Hate it? Lemme know...(review!)!_


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